Fridericia baradlana, Dózsa-Farkas & Nagy & Felföldi, 2019

Dózsa-Farkas, Klára, Nagy, Hajnalka & Felföldi, Tamás, 2019, Two new species of Fridericia (Annelida: Enchytraeidae) from Hungarian caves, European Journal of Taxonomy 553, pp. 1-18 : 3-9

Fridericia baradlana sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:692C37DF-0429-44CA-B989-495C256D2D43

Figs 1–3

Diagnosis

The new species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: (1) medium sized (9– 15 mm in vivo); segments 42–61; (2) chaetae maximum 4–5 per bundle; (3) clitellum weakly developed, girdle shaped; (4) body wall 25–35 μm thick, cuticle thin (<1 μm); (5) oesophageal appendages long with many branches at the end; (6) all pharyngeal glands united dorsally; (7) five pairs of preclitellar nephridia; (8) coelomo-mucocytes scarce, a/c-type, lenticytes numerous and large; (9) dorsal vessel from XIX–XXI; (10) chylus cells in XII–XIV, occupying 2 segments; (11) bursal slit T-shaped; (12) seminal vesicle in XI, not brown; (13) subneural glands in XIII–XIV; (14) sperm funnels approximately as long as half the body diameter, collar as wide as funnel body, spermatozoa 250–320 μm long, heads 110–150 μm in vivo; (15) spermatheca with two long, arm-like diverticula variously bent or bifurcate in proximal part; ectal ducts of variable length with two ectal glands and ampullae fused proximally with common opening into oesophagus.

Etymology

Named after the type locality, Baradla cave.

Material examined

Holotype

HUNGARY • Baradla cave (Aggtelek Karst), entrance of Styx branch, from bits of decaying wood (these are remains of an old wooden bridge); 48°28′55.0″ N, 20°30′0.85″ E; 6 Dec. 2014; L. Dányi leg.; (F. 30. slide No. 2624, adult, stained, whole mounted specimen); ELTE.

Paratypes

HUNGARY • 2 specimens; same data as for the holotype (P. 128.1–128.2 slide No. 2598, 2623, adult, stained, whole mounted specimens) • all other paratypes from same type locality; 2 Oct. 2015; D. Angyal, G. Balázs & L. Dányi leg.; P. 128.3–128.5 slide No. 2086, 2643, 2644, three adult, stained, P. 128.6 slide No. 2664 only the forepart (with 26 segments) of an adult, stained, whole mounted specimens P.128.7 No. 2638 not stained, whole mounted specimens; P.128.8. slide No. 2639 (body end used for molecular analysis, DNA ID number 911b) not stained, whole mounted specimens; ELTE .

Additional material

HUNGARY • 2 subadult specimens; same type locality; (one of them used for molecular analysis, DNA ID number 911); only in vivo .

One adult specimen was studied in vivo, stained and whole-mounted. 4 subadult specimens and 2 specimens from type locality, only in vivo.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Medium-sized, whitish worms. Holotype 9.7 mm long, 370 μm wide at VIII and 380 μm at the clitellum when fixed, 53 segments. Body length of the paratypes 9–15 mm, width 300–390 μm at VIII and 360–400 μm at the clitellum in vivo; fixed specimens: length 6.6–11.3 mm, width 310–420 μm at VIII and 310–420 μm at the clitellum, segments 42–61.

CHAETAE. Chaetal formula: 2,3,4–4,3,2: 2,3,4,(5)–4,(5),3,2. Inner chaetae being slightly shorter and thinner than outer: 38–40 × 5 μm and 30–35 × 2,5 μm (in preclitellar bundles). Behind the clitellum from ca. XXVII-XXXV only two chaetae per lateral bundle, posteriorly length about 45–55 × 5 μm. Often detached chaetae in coelom ( Fig. 2E ).

HEAD PORE. At 0/I longitudinal slit.

DORSAL PORES. From VII. Three or four rows of hyaline epidermal gland cells per segment. CLITELLUM. In XII–1 /2XIII, weakly developed, girdle-shaped, hyalocytes and granulocytes arranged in rows. Body wall about 25–35 μm and cuticle <1 μm thick ( Fig. 2F ), in forepart slightly stronger than at the body end.

BRAIN. Egg-shaped, about 160–175 μm long, about 2 times as long as wide in vivo; 130–155 μm long and 1.5–2 times as long as wide when fixed ( Fig. 2A ).

OESOPHAGEAL APPENDAGES. Long with many branches at the end in V ( Fig. 1C ). All pharyngeal glands united dorsally, those in 5/6 and 6/7 with ventral lobes, the third pairs largest ( Fig. 2G ).

CHLORAGOCYTES. From V, 20–23 μm long preclitellarly when fixed. Dorsal vessel from XIX–XXI, blood colourless.

MIDGUT PARS TUMIDA. Not visible.

NEPHRIDIA. Five pairs of preclitellar nephridia from 6/7 to 10/11, length ratio anteseptale: postseptale 1: 1.3–1.6, medial origin of the efferent duct.

COELOMO- MUCOCYTES. Scarce, a/c-type of Möller (1971), elliptic ( Figs 1D , 2B, D ), length 30–40 μm in vivo.

LENTICYTES. In large numbers, large 10–15 μm long ( Figs 1D , 2C ). Chylus cells in XII–XIV, occupying 2 segments.

SEMINAL VESICLE. In XI, not brown. Sperm funnels cylindrical ( Figs 2 I–K, 3A), about 150–230 μm long and about 1.5–2.3 times as long as wide in vivo.

FUNNEL. Length in fixed specimens 95–150 μm, funnel body 1.2–2 times as long as wide but sometimes wider than long; collar as wide as funnel body.

SPERMATOZOA. Length: 250–320 μm, heads 110–150 μm in vivo ( Fig. 2 J–K); when fixed 140–170 μm and heads 80–95 μm. Diameter of sperm ducts 7–9 μm in vivo (9–10 μm, when fixed).

MALE COPULATORY ORGANS. 115–140 μm long, 70–80 μm wide and 50–59 μm high in vivo ( Fig. 3C ); 70– 130 μm long, 50–70 μm wide and 40–60 μm high when fixed ( Fig. 3B ). Bursal slits T-shaped ( Fig. 3D ).

SUBNEURAL GLANDS. In XIII–XIV ( Fig. 2H ).

SPERMATHECAE ( Figs 1 A–B, 3E–H). Two ectal glands of variable length (25–50 μm long) ( Figs 3 I–J); ectal ducts contractile, thus the length variable, about 150–250 μm long and 16–17 μm wide, canal 2 μm wide in vivo (85–185 μm long, 16–17 μm wide when fixed), not widened entally, projecting into ampulla, ental bulbs about 30–40 μm wide when fixed.

AMPULLAE. With two long, arm-like diverticula, in their proximal parts dividing into an upper and a lower branch and variously bent (not easily visible, since the branches are overlapping with each other). Proximal part of ampullae fused, with common opening into oesophagus dorsally.

Distribution and habitat

Only known from the type locality: Baradla cave, Aggtelek Karst, Hungary.

Differential diagnosis

There are only four valid species of Fridericia with two elongate spermathecal diverticula and with the proximal parts of the two spermathecal ampullae fused, forming one common opening into the oesophagus: F. waldenstroemi Rota & Healy, 1999 , F. montafonensis Schmelz, 1998 , F. profundicola Dózsa-Farkas, 1991 , and F. longeaurita Boros & Dózsa-Farkas, 2015 . The new species differs from all these species (leaving other characters out of consideration) by the form of diverticula, which divide into an upper and a lower finger-like branch from their base at the ampulla.

Figures

Fig. 1. A–D. Fridericia baradlana sp. nov. A–B. Spermathecae. C. Oesophageal appendage. D. Coelomocytes. E–F. Fridericia spelaeophila sp. nov. E. Coelomocytes. F. Spermathecae. Scale bars: 50 μm.

Fig. 2. Micrograph of Fridericia baradlana sp. nov. A. Brain. B–D. Coelomocytes (C. several large lenticytes). E. Detached chaetae in coelom. F. Thick body wall, thin cuticle. G. Pharyngeal glands (marked with arrows). H. Subneural glands in XIII–XIV (marked with arrows). I–K. Sperm funnels (funnel’s body marked with black arrows, sperm head marked with white arrows). (B–C, F, I–K in vivo, A, F, H fixed, stained, D, G fixed, not stained. Scale bars: 50 μm, in D 20 μm. B, E from holotype.)

Fig. 3. Micrograph of Fridericia baradlana sp. nov. A. Sperm funnels (marked with arrows). B–C. Male copulatory organs (marked with arrows). D. Bursal slit (marked with arrow). E–H, K–L. Spermathecae. I–J. Spermathecal ectal glands (marked with arrows). (A, C, E–F in vivo, B, J, K–L fixed, stained, D, G, H–I fixed, not stained). Scale bars: 50 μm, in H, J–L 20 μm, J–L from holotype.