Typhlopolycystis schockaerti Karling, 1978

Schockaert, Ernest R., Moons, Patricia, Janssen, Toon, Tessens, Bart S., Reygel, Patrick C., Revis, Nathalie, Jouk, Philippe E. H., Willems, Wim R. & Artois, Tom J., 2019, On the genus Typhlopolycystis Karling, 1956 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae), with data on the five known species and the description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 4603 (1), pp. 81-104 : 86-87

Typhlopolycystis schockaerti Karling, 1978 .

( Fig. 4 )

Diagnosis. Colourless species of Typhlopolycystis , 0.8–1 mm without eyes and with a proboscis of about 1/6 of the body length. The copulatory organ is very delicate and easily folded. The prostate stylet is a wide gutter with thickened rims, about 28 µm long in the holotype, and the accessory stylet is almost straight, wide at its base and tapering to its end. It is 35 µm (n=3), 37 µm in the holotype. The basal ring is almost circular, 20 by 22 µm.

Occurrence. Bermuda: Tuckers Town Cove , sheltered beach, fine sand, in part with green algae and in the adjacent mangrove area (Type locality, September–October, 1976). Material studied. The type material (three whole mounts, SMNH type nr 2960 and nrs 93904 and 93905) .

Typhlopolycystis fonsecai n. sp Schockaert and Artois.

( Fig. 5 )

Diagnosis. Transparent whitish species of Typhlopolycystis , 0.8–1 mm long, without eyes and with a proboscis of 1/6 of the body length. The prostate stylet is a wide delicate gutter without any thickenings, 27 µm long. The accessory stylet is curved, 62 µm long, wide at its base and with a pointed end. The basal ring is almost circular with a diameter of about 33 µm. The seminal receptacle consists of two successive vesicles.

Occurrence. Brazil: Near Parcel do Julião, Ilhabella (São Paulo), coarse sand, 10–15 m deep (by Schockaert , 31 October 2013) (Type Locality) .

Material studied. One animal studied alive, photographed and mounted (holotype SMNH nr 8958).

Additional data. There was an egg in the uterus that made observation of the internal structures difficult before the egg burst.

Etymology. Species name in honour of Dr. G. Fonseca, who organised the workshop on Taxonomy and Diversity of Marine Meiofauna, Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Typhlopolycystis schockaerti Karling, 1978. The copulatory organ in whole mounts (A) of the holotype and (B-C) in two syntypes. (scale = 20 µm)

FIGURE 5. Typhlopolycystis fonsecai n. sp. (A) Micrograph of the living animal. (B) Micrograph of the caudal end of the living animal after the egg had burst. (C) The seminal receptacle in the living animal. (D) The male atrial organs in the living animal. (E) The copulatory organ in the holotype. (scale = 20 µm except in A and B)