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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Specaria

Specaria Sperber, 1939 (ref. ID; 1257, 3692)

Order Haplotaxida: Family Naididae (ref. ID; 5939)

Family Naididae: Subfamily Naidinae Lastockin, 1924 (ref. ID; 1257, 7211)

ref. ID; 1663

Body wall naked. Hair setae present. Without proboscis. Dorsal setae beginning on IV, V or VI. Capilliform setae of dorsal bundles without teeth. Needle setae similar to ventral setae. (ref. ID; 1663)

ref. ID; 7211

With or without eyes. Dorsal setae from VI, hairs and bifid or pectinate needles; needles curved distally, slightly curved proximally, with nodules slightly or clearly distal. Ventral setae all of one form, penial setae present. Clitellum absent around male pores. Vasa deferentia with prostate cells, open into atria lateral male pores within eversible pockets. Nephridia tight coiled, packed around ventral blood vessel. (ref. ID; 7211)

Remarks

The genital characters cited above pertain only to the type species and need confirming for both S. fraseri and S. hellei (Br.). The odd nephridia of the type species may not provide a useful generic character but the nephridia of S. hellei appear to resemble those of European specimens of the type species loaned to us H.R. Baker. (ref. ID; 7211)

Type species

Nais josinae Vejdovsky (ref. ID; 7211)
  1. Specaria fraseri Brinkhurst, 1978 (ref. ID; 5939 original paper, 7211)
  2. Specaria hellei (Brinkhurst, 1971) Brinkhurst & Kathman, 1983 (ref. ID; 7211 redescribed paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 6582)
    Syn; Vejdovskyella hellei Brinkhurst (ref. ID; 7211)
  3. Specaria josinae (Vejdovsky, 1883) (ref. ID; 1257, 1663, 1861, 3692, 7211, 7854) reported year? (ref. ID; 7098) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 5939)
    Syn; Nais josinae Vejdovsky (ref. ID; 7211)

Specaria fraseri Brinkhurst, 1978 (ref. ID; 5939 original paper, 7211)

Descriptions

With or without eyes. Dorsal setae from VI, usually three nonserrate hair setae, three needles with long, curved distal ends terminating in two small teeth, or up to five of each. Ventral setae of II longer and thicker than the rest, upper tooth about twice as long as the lower, up to six in number; the rest shorter, thinner with upper tooth 1.5 times the length of the lower, two to four per bundle. Penial setae paired, thick, hooked, distal nodulus. Body wall sometimes covered with foreign matter. (ref. ID; 5939)

Eyes may be present or not in this species. The dorsal bundles usually contain three nonserrate hairs and th? bifid needles with the teeth of equal length (varying from short to elongate) closely parallel to each other, nodules slightly distal of median, distal end more curved ? relatively straight proximal end. Ventral setae of longer and thicker than the rest, upper tooth thinner ? and about twice the length of the lower, the rest two ? four per bundle with upper tooth one to five times the length of the lower, nodulae just distal of median. (ref. ID; 7211)

Remarks

There is a single species in the genus, S. josinae, originally described as a species of the genus Nais. The new species is tentatively ascribed to Specaria rather than Nais, the only other alternative being a possible affinity with Vejdovskyella. The hair setae in the latter are strongly serrated. The needles in S. josinae have more distinctly bifid tips. The hair and needle setae in Nais are usually limited to one of each per bundle, two at the most. The correct placement of the new species depends on detailed study of the nephridia and vascular system. (ref. ID; 5939)

Etymology

Named for Simon Fraser explorer. (ref. ID; 5939)

Type locality

Fraser River from Hope to the sea. (ref. ID; 5939)

Examined material

  • Holotype: U.S.N.M. 55372. (ref. ID; 5939)
  • Paratypes: U.S.N.M. 55373. (ref. ID; 5939)

    Specaria hellei (Brinkhurst, 1971) Brinkhurst & Kathman, 1983 (ref. ID; 7211 redescribed paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 6582)

    Synonym

    Vejdovskyella hellei Brinkhurst (ref. ID; 7211)

    Descriptions

    Without eyes. Dorsal bundles with two long serrate hairs and one short one, up to three needles, varying from bifid to pectinate with fine intermediate teeth nodulus distal; ventral setae longest in II, four to six per bundle, with upper teeth longer than lower and be? over, nodulus distal. The stomach is in VII-VIII. Nephridia coiled, close to ventral blood vessel. Coelomyctes present. Asexual reproduction by budding. (ref. ID; 7211)

    Remarks

    This species was assigned to Vejdovskyella because of the serrate hair setae, which originally seemed sufficient to exclude it from Specaria. Serrations are, however, present or absent in various species of Pristina and Dero, and one species of Nais has now been reported with serrate hairs. Loden and Harman (1980) have indicated that pectinate setae (present in S. hellei) may be developed as a response to environmental factors such as salinity. The setal characteristics, then, are no longer seen as a barrier to the inclusion of S. hellei in Specaria. It seems closely related to S. fraseri, but as the reproductive systems of these species are unknown this aligment may yet have to be revised. (ref. ID; 7211)

    Type locality

    Alaska; Kitimat River, British Columbia. April and September, 1982. (ref. ID; 7211)

    Specaria josinae (Vejdovsky, 1883) (ref. ID; 1257, 1663, 1861, 3692, 7211, 7854) reported year? (ref. ID; 7098) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 5939)

    Synonym

    Nais josinae Vejdovsky (ref. ID; 7211)

    Descriptions

    No eyes. Dorsal chaetae begin in segment 6 (2-6 hairs, 2-6 crotchets with short teeth of equal length). Ventral crotchets all alike 5-10 per bundle with the upper tooth a little longer than the lower. Penial chaetae present. 3-10 mm. Stout pinkish worms, slow moving. (ref. ID; 1257)

    S. josinae burrows below the top centimeter of sediments. (ref. ID; 1861)

    The type species has two to six hairs and needles, the latter are bifid with teeth about equally long; the ventral setae are 5-10 per bundle, all with the upper tooth little longer than but about as wide as the lower Specimens from Sherkin Island, Eire, have spermathecal pores immediately in front of ventral setae instead of the lateral position described by Sperber (1948). There are also as many as six penial setae per bundle in few specimens. Now reported from Lake Washington Mercer Island, Washington, March and October 1982. (ref. ID; 7211)