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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Lamprortus

Lamprortus Rodriguez, 1994 (ref. ID; 7259 original paper)

Family Lumbriculidae (ref. ID; 6651, 7259, 7854)

ref. ID; 7259

Aquatic oligochaete with testes, vasa deferentia, and atria paired in segments X and XI, ovaries and female ducts paired in XII and XIII, and one pair of spermathecae in XIV. Atria elongate. Protrusible pendant penes in glandular sacs. Vasa deferentia do not penetrate post-testicular segment. No blind-ending lateral blood vessels in posterior body wall. (ref. ID; 7259)

Remarks

This new taxon is clearly a lumbriculid by virtue of the prosoporous male ducts of both pairs of atria. The erection of a new genus is justified on the basis of the unique plan of the reproductive organs, particularly the possession of a second pair of ovaries, making the taxon hologynous. The only other species in the family that have more than a pair of ovaries are those with exceedingly variable patterns of reproductive organs, known or presumed to be related to the adoption of parthenogenetic and other asexual modes of reproduction. An alternative possibility would be to expand the definition of the genus Lamprodrilus Michaelsen to include this form. The relationship between these genera is clear because of the close similarity in the male reproductive systems and the position of the spermathecae. The atria in both genera are elongate, each atrium bears only a posterior vas deferens (rather than the two vasa deferentia of the stem form E of the family), true penes are present, and the single pair of spermathecae is located in the post-ovarian segment. As there are two pairs of ovaries in Lamprortus, and the spermathecae are always one segment behind the gonads in all of these related genera, the spermathecae are acutally in XIV instead of XIII. (ref. ID; 7259)

Type species

Lamprortus orientalis Rodriguez, by monotypy. (ref. ID; 7259)
  1. Lamprortus orientalis Rodriguez, 1994 (ref. ID; 6651, 7259 original paper, 7854)

Lamprortus orientalis Rodriguez, 1994 (ref. ID; 6651, 7259 original paper, 7854)

Descriptions

Length of fixed individuals 23-25 mm. Number of segments 53-73. Diameter at clitellum 1.4 mm. Prostomium rounded. Segmentation pronounced, secondary annulation from IV. Clitellum from 1/2IX to 1/2XV. Setae simple-pointed, sigmid. Setae in anteclitellar region 148-158 µm long, 6.4-7.0 µm wide; ratio of tip node: total length (r) 0.34-0.44. Posterior setae larger (152-183 µm long, 8 µm wide) and r=0.40-0.44. Two pairs of male pores situated behind ventral setae of X and XI. Two pairs of female pores in 11/12 and 12/13. One pair of spermathecal pores behind ventral setae of XIV. Body wall anteriorly with epidermal layer and longitudinal muscle layer 16-25 and 19-25 µm thick, respectively, on the dorsal side, thicker ventrally (25-32 µm and up to 63 µm, respectively). Pharynx well developed both dorsally and ventrally. Pharyngeal glands from III to V, sometimes to anterior ventral part of VI. Chloragogen cells begin in the posterior part of IV, dense from V on. No blind lateral blood vessels observed in posterior region of body wall. Sperm sacs extend forward to VIII and back to XXI. Egg sacs may extend to XXIV. Two pair of tests in X and XI, two pairs of ovaries in XII and XIII. Two pairs of tubular atria extending usually two or three segments posteriad, in the sperum sacs. Atrial muscles thin (3-6 µm), vacuolized epithelial layer thick (9.5-24 µm). Prostate layer thick, up to 32-56 µm. Atria lumen full of spermatozoa. Protrusible penes situated in glandular penis sacs that form hemispherical covers to the male pores. Vasa deferentia thin (11 µm), originate in large sperm funnels situated on the posterior wall of the testis-bearing segment, and insert subapically into the atria without penetrating the post-testicular segment. Spermathecal ampullae voluminous, penetration one or two segment posteriad. The duct is short (up to 160 µm long), the ampulla wall is 14.5-23 µm thick. (ref. ID; 7259)

Etymology

Lampro from Lamprodrilus, ortus meaning "arising" or "derived from"; orientalis from the Orient. (ref. ID; 7259)

Type locality

Suyong River, Pusan, Korea, 10.VIII.1991. (ref. ID; 7259)

Type materials

  • Holotype: USNM170428, a sagittally divided whole-mounted worm in Canada balsam. (ref. ID; 7259)
  • Paratypes: USNM170429, 1 sagittally divided whole-mounted worm in Canada balsam. USNM170430, 1 seriallyy sectioned specimen on 7 slides. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid (MNCN 16.03/3018): 1 dissected whole-mounted specimen in Canada balsam, 1 serially sectioned specimen. Department of Biology, Pusan National University (PNU), Pusan: 1 sagittally divided whole-mounted specimen in Canada balsam. (ref. ID; 7259)
  • Other material: