Spinicirrus inequalis Hyman, 1953

Ramos-Sánchez, Mariela, 2024, The polyclads (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from the Tropical Eastern Pacific: Commented checklist and description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 962 (1), pp. 1-67 : 28

Spinicirrus inequalis Hyman, 1953

Spinicirrus inequalis Hyman, 1953a: 347 , 350–353, figs 114–117 (type locality: Pardita Island, La Paz Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico).

Spinicirrus inequalis – Brusca 2005: 69 (checklist).

Distribution

Pardita Island, La Paz Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Habitat

Benthic.

Remarks

Spinicirrus inequalis is characterized by an elongated body with a rounded anterior end, cerebral eyes arranged in two groups and distributed in a rounded shape and tentacular eyes distributed in two continuous bands; without nuchal tentacles. The male reproductive system lacks bulbs and spermiducal vesicles, presents a cirrus sac armed with teeth; in sagittal view, a glandular pouch is observed positioned in the anterior region of the spermiducal vesicles, with teeth distributed in two groups: a pair in the region posterior to the glandular pouch and approximately two pairs in the region anterior to the male atrium ( Hyman 1953a: 352, fig. 117); in ventral view, these spines are distributed in two groups: one formed by a pair of teeth and the second group presents a total of 15 teeth ( Hyman 1953a: 352, fig. 116). The species also has an oval digitiform prostatic vesicle. The female reproductive system presents a dorsally positioned vagina without Lang’s vesicle. Hyman (1953a) schematized an elongated sac anterior to the vagina, however, the functionality of this structure is unknown. Hyman (1953a) suggested collecting more specimens to better define the specific composition of the reproductive system of the species, as well as its systematic position within the family Planoceridae .