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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Steineria

Steineria Micoletzky, 1922 (ref. ID; 3571)

Monhysterida Filipjev, 1929: Family Monhysteridae De Man, 1876: Subfamily Monhysterinae De Man, 1876 (ref. ID; 3571)

Monohysteridae (ref. ID; 7627)

ref. ID; 3571

Type species

Monhystera polycaeta Steiner, 1915, subsequent designation by Mawson, 1957 (ref. ID; 3571)
  1. Steineria aegyptica Andrassy, 1959 (ref. ID; 3571, 7627)
  2. Steineria ampullacea Wieser & Hopper, 1967 (ref. ID; 3571)
  3. Steineria brevisetosa (subsp.) Timm, 1957
    See; Steineria pilosa subsp. brevisetosa (ref. ID; 3571)
  4. Steineria chiliensis Murphy, 1966 (ref. ID; 3571)
  5. Steineria cobbi Wieser, 1956 (ref. ID; 3571)
  6. Steineria ericia Gerlach, 1956 (ref. ID; 3571)
  7. Steineria gerlachi Wieser, 1956 (ref. ID; 3571)
  8. Steineria longicaudata Vitiello, 1971 (ref. ID; 3571)
  9. Steineria marcorum Gerlach, 1956 (ref. ID; 3571)
  10. Steineria mirabilis Stekhoven & De Coninck, 1933
    See; Trichoteristus mirabilis (ref. ID; 3571)
  11. Steineria paramirabilis Gerlach, 1955
    See; Trichoteristus paramirabilis (ref. ID; 3571)
  12. Steineria parapolychaeta Gerlach, 1953 (ref. ID; 3571)
  13. Steineria pavo Gerlach, 1957 (ref. ID; 3571)
  14. Steineria pectinata Wieser, 1956 (ref. ID; 3571)
  15. Steineria phimifera Wieser, 1959 (ref. ID; 3571)
  16. Steineria pilosa (Cobb, 1914) Micoletzky, 1922 (ref. ID; 3571)
    Syn; Monhystera pilosa Cobb, 1914 (ref. ID; 3571)
  17. Steineria polychaeta (Steiner, 1915) Micoletzky, 1922 (ref. ID; 3571)
    Syn; Monhystera polycaeta Steiner, 1915 (ref. ID; 3571)
  18. Steineria polychaetoides Gerlach, 1951 (ref. ID; 3571)
  19. Steineria pontica Groza-Rojancovski, 1972 (ref. ID; 3571)
  20. Steineria pulchra Mawson, 1957 (ref. ID; 3571)
  21. Steineria punctata Gerlach, 1955 (ref. ID; 3571)
  22. Steineria scopae Gerlach, 1956
    See; Pseudosteineria scopae (ref. ID; 3571)
  23. Steineria setosissima (Cobb, 1894) Stekhoven & De Coninck, 1933 (ref. ID; 3571)
    Syn; Monhystera setosissima Cobb, 1894 (ref. ID; 3571)
  24. Steineria simplex Timm, 1963 (ref. ID; 3571)
  25. Steineria sterreri Ott, 1977 (ref. ID; 7627 original paper)
  26. Steineria tripartita Gerlach, 1957 (ref. ID; 3571)

Steineria sterreri Ott, 1977 (ref. ID; 7627 original paper)

Descriptions

Cuticle annulated, somatic setation long, eight rows of 30-40 µm long setae, with 8-12 µm long shorter bristles in between 60-70 µm behind the anterior end there always appear 8 especially long somatic setae (50-55 µm). In both sexes 2 terminal setae, 45-55 µm long. Many of the somatic setae have a peculiar appearance, as if they were pennate. Not even under phase contrast it could be made sure, whether the 1.5 µm long projections belong to the bristle or are attached microorganisms. Head with pominent cushionlike lips, which seem to bear no papilliform sense organs, set off by a slight constriction. Shortly before the constriction, there is a circle of cephalic setae, consisting of a single lateral bristle (in one female there seem to be two joined setae) and groups of 3 (subventrally) and 2 (subdorsally) submedian setae. The longest setae of this circle are 15-16 µm long, the shortest 11-12 µm. This circle is immediately followed by the 8 groups of long subcephalic setae in sublateral and submedian position. These groups consist of 8 joined setae, giving the impression of 8 very strong setae under low power magnification. Only the tips of the individual setae project slightly, showing the arrangement. The anteriormost setae are the shortest (20-25 µm), the 6th setae the longest (85-95 µm or 2.9-3.5 head diameters in males, 65-85 µm or 2.4-3 head diameters in females). About 5 µm behind the subcepharic setae there are groups of 2-3 bristles, the longest of which are 20 µm long. Amphids circular, 29-38 µm (1.1-1.3 head diameters) from anterior end diameter 12 µm (30-34% of c.b.d.) in males, 9-10 µm (21-24%) in females. Stoma with conspicuous oblique striation in anterior portion, with two strong cuticular rings, conical portion reaching anterior margin of amphids. Esophagus cylindrical, only very slightly widening towards posterior end, small rounded cardia sunk into the gut tissue. Nerve ring at about 40% of esophagus length; excretory pore seen in one specimen only at 57% of esophagus length. Tail conical for about 2/3 of its length, then cylindrical with slightly swollen tip, spinneret slightly subterminal. Tail in males 225-245 µm (4.7-5.2 anal body diameters) long, 270-310 µm (5.8-6.0) in females. (ref. ID; 7627)
  • Male: Males diorchic, anterior testis beginning at about 30% of body length, posterior at about 40%. Spicula strong, rather simple, with blunt distal tips, 40-45 µm (0.8-1.0 anal body diameters) long measured along chord. Gubernaculum small, about 10 µm long with a hook shaped dorsal apophysis (12 µm long). (ref. ID; 7627)
  • Female: Females monodelphic, ovary outstretched, beginning between 25 and 35% of body length, vulva 1-1.1 mm from anterior end at 62-64% of body length. (ref. ID; 7627)

    Remarks

    Steineria sterreri n. sp. is closely related to S. aegyptica Andrassy, 1959 (see also Gerlach 1967) with regard to the number, length and arrangement of cephalic, subcephalic and cervical setae and the general shape of the male spicular apparatus. The two species differ in the relative length of the subcephalic setae, the longest of which are almost 4 head diameters in S. aegyptica, the length of the somatic setae, which are always shorter than the body diameter in S. sterreri, the longer tail and special characteristics of the male spicular apparatus (the proximal part of the spicula in S. sterreri is almost straight and the distal end only slightly curved, whereas in S. aegyptica it is bent ventrally in the proximal part and strongly curved distally, the gubernaculum has a much larger apophysis in the new species). Other differences, as the different position of the longest subcephalic setae (in which character however text and figures in Gerlach 1967 disagree) and the lack of elongate terminal setae in males in S. aegyptica should be treated with caution. (ref. ID; 7627)

    Examined materials

  • Holotype (male): U.S.N.M. Nr.54012 L: 1,560 mm a: 28.4 b: 5.6 c: 6.4. (ref. ID; 7627)
  • Paratypes (males): U.S.N.M. Nr.54013-54014 L: 1,430-1,580 mm a: 23.2-26.3 b: 5.6-6.2 c: 6.4-6.7. (ref. ID; 7627)
  • Paratypes (females): U.S.N.M. Nr.54015-54016 L: 1,620-1,730 mm a: 24.9-27.9 b: 5.5-6.0 c: 6.0-6.5. (ref. ID; 7627)