Sparganophilus sp

Sparganophilus sp 09

Figures 8A–C View FIGURE 8 ; 9D View FIGURE 9

Material: GTIC-11506; One adult, Falling Creek , Hitchiti Experimental Forest, Jones Co., Georgia, USA. Collected from silty sediments along the creek bank, rich in organic matter, under a slope with some perennial herbs. Col. R. Carrera-Martínez, M.K. Taylor. 2. MAY.2017. (33.03521°N, 083.71082°W) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis: Length 45 mm. Dorsal pores absent. Clitellum saddle-shaped in xv–xxvii. Tubercula pubertatis discontinuous in xviii–xxiii as three pairs, one on each of xviii–xix, (1/2)xx–xxi and (1/2)xxii–xxiii, ventral limit just dorsal to setae line b. Setae closely paired: ab = cd, aa <bc <dd. Spermathecal pores aligned with c, in 6/7–8/9. Prostatic pores in xxiv–xxvii, lateral to b, on porophores. Secondary annulation present on i–xxvii. Genital tumescences surrounding ab in xvi–xxviii, strong. Intestinal origin in ix. One pair of spermathecae per segment in vii–ix, spermathecal structure well differentiated into ampulla and duct, duct tubular, shorter than the spherical ampulla. Prostate-like glands in xxiv–xxvii, auxiliary prostate-like glands in xv–xvii. First nephridia in xiii.

Description: Length of unamputated preserved specimen 45 mm. Diameter in x 2.0 mm, in clitellum 3.0 mm. Number of segments, 140. Body ovate in cross-section anteriorly, ventrally flattened at the clitellum, quadrangular posterior to the clitellum, tail lanceolate, anus as a dorsal slit. Preserved specimens with a whitish coloration, clitellum white. Cuticle with a strong yellowish-green iridescence. Prostomium zygolobic. Dorsal pores absent. Spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9 level with c, conspicuous. Female pores conspicuous in xiv, anterior to b. Male pores lateral to b in xxi, within the tubercula pubertatis, post-setal. Clitellum saddle-shaped in xv–xxvii, ventral limit in b, less developed in xxv–xxvii. Tubercula pubertatis discontinuous from xviii–xxiii, divided into three pairs in xviii–xix, (1/2)xx–xxi, and (1/2)xxii–xxiii, ventral limit just dorsal to setae line b, disk-shaped, very prominent. Prostate-like pores paired xxiv–xxvii and of auxiliary prostate-like glands inconspicuous in xv–xvii lateral to b on porophores. Nephridiopores anterior to a, starting in segment xiii. First setae in ii, lumbricine, closely paired. In x aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 4.50:1.00:6.50:1.00:9.92, in xxx = 5.00:1.00:6.50:1.00:9.42. Secondary annulation present in ii–xxvii, throughout the whole segment, with 3–4 annulations, posterior to the clitellum only slightly. Genital tumescences present in xvi–xxviii surrounding ab.

Septa 7/8–8/9 only slightly thickened. Pharynx ends in vi, connecting to a small esophagus. Intestine originates gradually in ix. Intestinal caeca, typhlosole, calciferous glands, and gizzard absent. One pair of spermathecae per segment in vii–ix, without diverticulum. Spermathecal structure well differentiated into ampulla and duct, all of similar size. Duct tubular, slender, shorter than the ampulla. Ampulla large, globular, and spherical, smooth. Duct connects to the intersegmental furrows level with the setal line cb. Spermathecae located between a weak muscular fiber originating anteriorly in the intersegmental section of the esophagus and connecting posteriorly to the intersegmental-septum joint. Ovaries in xiii, free, string-like. Oviduct connects in segment xiv, anterior to b. Testes free in x and xi. Epididymis in x and xi, small. Seminal vesicles, free in x, xi, and xii, those in x small, xi–xii large, all almost digitiform with a racemose dorsal end. One pair of digitiform auxiliary genital glands associated to the spermatheca in viii. Vas deferens within muscular body wall. Tubular, prostate-like glands paired in each of xxiv–xxvii, well developed. Smaller, auxiliary prostate-like glands in in xv–xvii. One pair of holonephridia per segment, starting at xiii. Holonephridia of xiv reduced and smaller than xiii. Those of xiii–xiv smaller than xv–xxvii, which are smaller than the following. Holonephridia tubular, highly coiled dorsally, ventrally with an c-shaped vesicle. Paired moniliform hearts in vii–xi; all approximately same size. Dorsal and ventral vessel present, and simple. Paired lateral vessel present, joining dorsal vessel in xiv, filiform.

Remarks: Sparganophilus sp 09 is very similar to S. komeraki Reynolds 1980 , however it differs from S. komeraki by the location of the tubercula pubertatis in xviii–xix, (1/2)xx–xxi, and (1/2)xxii–xxiii, having three pairs of spermathecae in vii–ix, male pores in xxi, and genital tumescenses in xvi–xxviii. Sparganophilus komeraki has its tubercula pubertatis in xviii–xix, xix–xx and xx–xxi, two pairs of spermathecae in xviii and ix, male pores in xix, and genital tumescenses in ab xiv–xxvi. While the differences between S. komeraki reported by Reynolds (1980) and our specimen could be within the species variability, it is still unknown whether S. komeraki has auxiliary prostates-like glands, and the states of its holonephridia. Therefore, we decided to not provide a formal name to this specimen until more specimens and molecular data can be collected and analyzed.