Chordodes clavatus Linstow, 1906

De Villalobos, Cristina, Zanca, Fernanda & Schmidt‐Rhaesa, Andreas, 2007, Revision of the genus Chordodes (Gordiida, Nematomorpha) from Africa-III: ultrastructural redescription of Chordodes capensis Camerano, 1895, C. clavatus Linstow, 1906, C. digitatus Linstow, 1901, C. tuberculatus Linstow, 1901, and reinterpretation of C. ibembensis Sciacchitano, 1958 and C. uncinatus Sciacchitano, 1958, Journal of Natural History 41 (45 - 48), pp. 2775-2788 : 2778-2781

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930701754855
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F11EDC08-BB22-1A4B-FE2D-FCDADA14FD91
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Chordodes clavatus Linstow, 1906
status

Treatment

Chordodes clavatus Linstow, 1906 View in CoL

( Figures 2 View Figure 2 , 3A, B View Figure 3 )

Chordodes clavatus Linstow 1906, p 246 View in CoL , Figure 16.

Material

Holotype: 1 „, Republic of Cameroon, Jaunde ( ZMB Vermes 4446) . Paratypes: 2♀♀, from type locality ( ZMB Vermes 4446a) .

Material examined. Holotype and paratype, SEM from midbody. Holotype, SEM posterior end.

Host

Unknown.

Description

The body colour of male is dark brown. The body length is 191 mm; diameter in the middle region is 0.99 mm. The anterior end is whitish, white cap and dark collar are not present. The posterior end is undivided ( Figure 2A View Figure 2 ). The cloacal opening is oval and surrounded by slender spines. Anterolateral of the cloacal opening are two straight and narrow rows of bristles ( Figure 2B View Figure 2 ).

The cuticular surface is structured into areoles belonging to five types ( Figure 2C View Figure 2 ). The most abundant type is a rounded or oval areole (the simple areoles; Figure 2D View Figure 2 ). They are low (4.4–5.2 mm), and have a warty surface, reminiscent of a blackberry. Bulging areoles ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ) resemble simple areoles but are more elevated (8.4–9.1 mm) and occur in clusters of two to five. Scattered in distribution are areoles with a finger-like projection on top (9.3 mm high), the tubercle areoles ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ). The two remaining areolar types occur in clusters of two crowned areoles surrounded by about 12–16 elevated areoles (the circumcluster areoles; Figure 2E View Figure 2 ). Circumcluster areoles are elevated (19.1–26.9 mm), curved towards the centre and contain apically a tuft of bristles. Crowned areoles resemble the circumcluster areoles in elevation (27.5–28.8 mm), but contain a crown of moderately short filaments on top. The interareolar furrow is narrow, lacking spiniform structures.

The body length of the females varies between 238 and 267 mm. Diameter is 1.14– 1.78 mm. The body colour is dark brown. The posterior end is rounded. The ventral midline is darkly pigmented.

Although the cuticle in both females investigated was covered with detritus, the same five types of areoles as seen in the male could be identified ( Figure 3A View Figure 3 ). The noticeable difference from the males is that two further areolar types are evident in the longitudinal ventral furrow of the body of the females. One of these are the thorn areoles, which are areoles with solid spines on top ( Figure 3B View Figure 3 ). Thorns are distinguished from tubercles by their pointed tip and are usually much more solid and higher (42.2 mm). The other type are crowned areoles with long filaments (60–223.3 mm) surrounded by circumcluster areoles ( Figure 3B View Figure 3 ). It may be concluded that Chordodes clavatus females differ from males in having seven areolar types.

Comments

Linstow (1906) recognized only two areolar types in the original description of C. clavatus , small oval areoles distributed throughout the cuticle and groups of elevated conical areoles with clear filaments at the apex. These areolar types correspond to simple areoles, and to clusters formed by circumcluster and crowned areoles from the present investigation.