Aiteng, Cornelis & Kees & Swennen & Buatip, 2009

Cornelis, Kees, Swennen & Buatip, Somsak, 2009, Aiteng Ater, New Genus, New Species, An Amphibious And Insectivorous Sea Slug That Is Difficult To Classify [Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa (?): Aitengidae, New Family], Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 57 (2), pp. 495-500 : 496

Aiteng , new genus

Diagnosis. – Non-shelled opisthobranchs, body dorsoventrally flattened, notum with wide free border under which head can be retracted. Cerata, gills, rhinophores, and tentacles lacking. Ganglionic nerve ring pre-pharyngeal. Pharynx large, radula uniseriate, both ascending and descending limbs with several tens of teeth, one functional tooth. Single major branch of digestive gland from simple stomach to posterior part, widely branching off laterally. Male aperture under right eye. Female opening on right body wall beside anus.

Type species. – Aiteng ater , new species, described in this paper from Pak Phanang Bay , Gulf of Thailand. Gender: masculine .

Etymology. – The name is derived from Ai Theng, which is the name of one of the popular puppets in shadow plays (wayang) in the southern part of Thailand. It is a jolly, smooth, black, male, who plays in the night. Statues and drawings of various famous puppets were seen along the roads in the area during our visits. The smooth Ai Theng with his large lateral eyes did remind us of the just discovered slug ( Fig. 1A ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Aiteng ater, new species: A, photo of a wayang (shadow puppet) and of a statue of Ai Theng at a shop near Pak Phanang; B, creeping adult specimen length 9.0 mm in lab; C, creeping young slug length 2.0 mm; D, young slug curled up length 2.1 mm; E, nerve ring, width of photo 170 µm; F, digestive tubes in ventral view in posterior part of body, width of photo 2600 µm; G, posterior lateral side of notum in dorsal view with skin largely removed showing digestive follicles and dorsal vessels; H, prostate dorsal view, width photo 270 µm; I, parasites around salivary follicles, ventral view; J, ventral view of albumen gland, ampulla, and follicles; K, eye; L, penis; M, lateral view of radular teeth. Legend: ag − albumen gland; am − ampulla; dg − digestive follicles; dt − digestive tubes; dv − dorsal vessels; ey − eye; fb − foot border; fo − follicles of ovotestis; nb − notum border; pa − parasite; ph − pharynx; pr − prostate; sg − salivary follicles; sr − seminal receptacle; st − stomach; ve −velum.