Pelophila lutheri ( Westblad 1946 ) Karling, 1974

Faubel, A. & Warwick, R. M., 2005, The marine flora and fauna of the Isles of Scilly: Free-living Plathelminthes (‘ Turbellaria’), Journal of Natural History 39 (1), pp. 1-45 : 5

Pelophila lutheri ( Westblad 1946) Karling, 1974

Conυoluta lutheri Westblad, 1940: 2 (nom. nud.).

Aphanostoma lutheri Westblad, 1946: 40–41 , Figures 6 , 28, pls I 5–6, II 1–4. Mecynostomum lutheri: Westblad, 1948: 3 .

Praeaphanostoma lutheri: Dörjes, 1968a: 91 .

Pelophila caυernosa Dörjes, 1968a: 344–348, Figures 121, 122.

Material examined

Site 11: one specimen, in squash preparation, stored on CD-ROM: 2003.6.6.1.

Geographical distribution. N Atlantic: Iceland (Eyjafjördur); Norwegian Sea: Norway (TrØmsØ, HaakØy, Ramfjord, Trondheimfjord); Skagerrak: Norway (Oslofjord: DrØbak, Degerud), Sweden (Gullmarfjord); Irish Sea: Isle of Man (Port Erin), North Channel (Firth of Clyde: Millport, Loch Striven); North Sea: German Bight ( Helgoland), Baltic Sea: Gulf of Finland (Tvaerminne); Mediterranean Sea: Adriatic Sea ( Croatia: Dubrovnik) ( Riedl 1956; Dörjes 1968a; Karling 1974; Dörjes and Karling 1975).

Remarks

Dörjes (1968a) described Pelophila caυernosa from the sublittoral area around the Island of Helgoland (North Sea). This species has the status of the type species of the genus Pelophila Dörjes, 1968 , Childiidae , mainly based on a penis being sclerotized. Karling (1974) synonymized P. caυernosa with Praeaphanostoma lutheri ( Westblad 1946) now naming the species Pelophila lutheri ( Westblad 1946) . Re-investigation of Pelophila lutheri proves that there is not a sclerotized penis but a cirrus invaginated into a muscle bulb. The male copulatory bulb is of duplex type with a cirrus internus entered distally by extrabulbous prostatoid glands. Based on that character Pelophila lutheri is a member of the family Convolutidae . Based on the characters given by Dörjes, the remaining species Pelophila pachymorpha Dörjes, 1968 is furthermore a member of the family Childiidae Dörjes, 1968 . The genus name, however, has to be emended to Pelochildia gen. nov. Pelochildia pachymorpha now achieves the status of the type species. The diagnosis given by Dörjes (1968a) is maintained. The diagnosis of Pelophila Dörjes, 1968 is emended as follows: With frontal organ. Genital openings separate. Male copulatory bulb of duplex type with cirrus internus. With bilateral testes and ovaries. Seminal bursa with anterior cellular insemination apparatuses (‘Matrixhörner’ after Westblad 1946) and invaginated spermiducal duct directed caudad.

Figures

Figure 6. Stylostomum ellipse. Dorsal view in squash preparation. Scale bar: 500 Mm.