Chromoplanidae ( Bock, 1922 ) Faubel 1984

Holleman, John J., 2007, Some New Zealand Polyclads (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida), Zootaxa 1560, pp. 1-17 : 12-14

Family Chromoplanidae ( Bock, 1922) Faubel 1984 , emended

Pseudocerotoidea with an oval body outline that is without tentacles. Very few eyes on the anterior margin and above the cerebral organ. Pharynx ruffled and in the anterior half of the body. Male aperture in close proximity to the mouth. Male copulatory complex directed anteriorly. True prostatic and seminal vesicles present. The common sperm duct is dilated to form an unpaired spermiducal vesicle. The pear shaped prostatic vesicle is interpolated with a smooth glandular epithelium, glands are extravesicular. Gonopores separate. The sucker is posterior to the female aperture.

Material

Eight specimens were collected from the rocky intertidal in front of the Island Bay Marine Laboratory, Wellington, North Island in September 1970. Twelve specimens were collected at Kaikoura, South Island from Seal Reef, Spaniards Bay, Whalers Bay and South Bay in October 1970.

Morphology

External features: The body is an elongate oval, with the largest measuring 7 mm. long and 4 mm. wide when alive and active. The body is thick with a firm consistency. The sucker is located in the posterior third of the body well behind the female gonopore. The body is a translucent white with two lateral, longitudinal brown stripes and a yellow transverse stripe anterior to the level of the cerebral eyes. The ventral surface is absent of color appearing white. Several individuals had a buff background color which faded when the specimens were maintained in an aquarium. Marginal eyes numbering 11 to 20 are evenly divided at the anterior margin. The eyes extend only to the lateral edge of the anterior margin. The cerebral eyes consist of two groups of three eyes each consisting of two large eyes located close to the dorsal surface and one small eye which is located just above the brain directed ventrally. The large heavily folded pharynx occupies the anterior half of the body with the mouth located in the posterior half of the pharyngeal pocket.

Reproductive anatomy: The male reproductive apparatus is directed anteriorly located below and behind the pharynx. Sperm ducts unite and the common sperm duct expands to a spherical spermiducal vesicle is in contact anteriorly with the thick muscular wall of the spherical seminal vesicle and opens directly into the spherical seminal vesicle. The seminal vesicle is in contact with the posterior wall of the pear shaped prostatic vesicle and opens directly into the prostatic vesicle. The prostatic vesicle has a well defined muscular wall and a smooth epithelial lining. The prostatic glands occur outside the muscular wall with small ducts extending through the wall to open into the lumen of the prostatic vesicle which is directed anteriorly and ventrally towards the small conical penis papilla. The prostatic vesicle narrows anteriorly to the short ejaculatory duct that immediately enters the small unarmed conical penis papilla. The penis papilla is enclosed in a penis sheath. The male antrum, which is oriented anteriorly and ventral, is reduced due to the extent of the thin penis sheath. The male antrum extends to the male gonopore which is located below the posterior aspect of the pharynx. The female gonopore is located below the spermiducal vesicle. The female antrum extends a short distance dorsally expanding into a cement pouch, which is flattened dorsal-ventrally. The vagina continues dorsally curving posteriorly. Uteri were not observed. A number of large eggs are observed from a level lateral to the penis and extend posteriorly.

Remarks

Chromoplana sirena differs from Chromoplana bella in the dorsal color pattern and the number of marginal eyes.

One wholemount is designated the holotype and has been deposited with the National Museum of New Zealand, NMNZ ZW No. 1450. Paratypes are one wholemount and one set of serial sagittal sections that have been deposited with the National Museum New Zealand, NMNZ ZW No. 1451, and NMNZ ZW No. 1452 respectively. Four specimens as wholemounts are designated paratypes and are deposited with the California Academy of Science, Nos. 107335, 107336, 107337, and 107338.

Etymology

Named for the Siren rocks in front of the Island Bay Marine Laboratory where it was collected.