Chordodes uncinatus Sciacchitano, 1958

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 : 2782

[ Chordodes uncinatus Sciacchitano, 1958 ]

( Figure 3D )

Chordodes uncinatus Sciacchitano 1958, p 33 , Figure 24.

Material

Holotype: 1 „, Republic of the Congo Bidua , Lisala (AMT 21141).

Material examined. Holotype, SEM midbody.

Host

Unknown.

Description

The body dimensions of the holotype are 160 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter. The colour of the body is dark brown. The anterior end is tapered and has a white calotte, the posterior end is undivided.

The cuticle ( Figure 3D ) shows five areolar types: simple areoles and bulging areoles with structured surface (blackberry-like). Bulging areoles form clusters of two to five areoles. Additionally, there are tubercle areoles with a tubercle on top and crowned areoles that form clusters together with circumcluster areoles. Crowned areoles occur in pairs and have moderately short filaments at the apex. This cuticular pattern shows the same characteristics observed in Chordodes clavatus .

Comments

Sciacchitano (1958) described Chordodes uncinatus with four areolar types. These areolar types correspond to the simple, bulging, circumcluster, and crowned areoles in our reinvestigation. Sciacchitano (1958) points out that both areolar types, type 1 (simple areoles) and type 2 (bulging areoles), have a tubercle in the middle. In this reinvestigation by SEM, the presence of tubercles could only be confirmed in the tubercle areoles, which are irregularly distributed. The features of the cuticle of Chordodes uncinatus are coincident with those described for the holotype of C. clavatus ; therefore, C. uncinatus is regarded as a synonym of C. clavatus .

Figures

Figure 3. (A, B) Chordodes clavatus, female, SEM: (A) general view of the body cuticle showing simple (1), bulging (2), crowned areoles with short filaments (4), and circumcluster areoles (5); (B) crowned areoles with long apical filaments (6) and thorn areole (7) from the ventral midline posterior end. (C) [Chordodes ibembensis], cuticle of the holotype showing simple (1), tubercle (2), bulging (3), crowned areoles (4), and circumcluster areoles (5). (D) [Chordodes uncinatus], cuticle with the same types of areoles as [Chordodes ibembensis]. Scale bars: 20 mm (A); 50 mm (B); 10 mm (C, D).