Hopperia, Vitiello, 1969

Leduc, Daniel, 2012, Deep-sea nematodes (Comesomatidae) from the Southwest Pacific Ocean: five new species and three new species records, European Journal of Taxonomy 24, pp. 1-42 : 35

Key to all known species of Hopperia

(modified from Pastor de Ward (2004))

1. Cuticle with irregularly-distributed dots in the lateral fields ............................................................... 3

2. Cuticle with four longitudinal rows of coarse dots in lateral fields in anterior half or entire body length ............................................................................. Hopperia communis Gagarin & Thanh, 2006

3. Stoma armed with three teeth at juncture of anterior and posterior portions of buccal cavity............ 4

– Stoma armed with six teeth at juncture of anterior and posterior portions of buccal cavity....................................................................................... H. hexadentata Hope and Zhang, 1995

4. Spicules without joint .......................................................................................................................... 5 – Spicules jointed; cephalic setae 0.4 hd;> 13 small pre-cloacal supplements; tail conico-cylindrical with swollen tip and terminal setae ................................................... H. metatypica (Chitwood, 1936)

5. Spicules without distal hook................................................................................................................ 6 – Spicules with distal hook; short conical cephalic setae; tail without terminal setae ............................. ................................................................................................................................. H. ancora sp. nov.

6. Spicules without sharp proximal bend pointing ventrally ................................................................... 7 – Spicules with sharp proximal bend; tail conico-cylindrical with swollen tip and terminal setae ................................................................................................. H. mira Gagarin and Thanh, 2006

7. Tail without conspicuous spinneret ..................................................................................................... 8 – Tail with conspicuous spinneret; terminal setae absent; cylindrical portion of tail> 50% tail length ....................................................................................... H. dolichura Gagarin and Thanh, 2006

8. Length of posterior cylindrical portion of buccal cavity> 1.5 amphid diameters .............................. 9 – Length of posterior cylindrical portion of buccal cavity <1.5 amphid diameters; 12 pre-cloacal supplements; spicules 0.5 abd ..................................................... H. patagonica Pastor de Ward, 2004

9. Length of posterior cylindrical portion of buccal cavity =1.5-2.5 amphid diameters ....................... 10 – Length of posterior cylindrical portion of buccal cavity> 2.5 amphid diameters .............................11

10. Spicules <2.0 abd ............................................................................................................................ 12 – Spicules> 2.0 abd; pre-cloacal supplements present; tail with terminal setae .................................... ............................................................................................................. H. muscatensis Warwick, 1973

11.> 10 pre-cloacal supplements; spicules 69 μm .............................. H. indiana Muthumbi et al., 1997 – <10 pre-cloacal supplements; spicules 37-44 μm ...................................... H. australis Jensen, 1992

12. Tail tip not swollen ........................................................................................................................... 13 – Tail tip swollen ................................................................................................................................. 14

13. Reflexed ovaries; 8 pre-cloacal supplements ............................. H. dorylaimopsoides (Allgen, 1959) – Outstretched ovaries; 6-8 pre-cloacal supplements; tail conical ......................................................... ..................................................................................................... H. beaglense Muthumbi et al., 1997

14. <10 pre-cloacal supplements; ovaries outstretched ........................................................................ 15 –> 10 pre-cloacal supplements; ovaries reflexed ..................................... H. massiliensis Vitiello, 1969

15. Tail 3.5 abd; a = 26-30; spicules 1.4 abd .................................... H. americana Pastor de Ward, 1984 – Tail 4.4 abd; a = 31-40; spicules 1.8 abd ............................................. H. arntzi Chen & Vincx, 1998