Turbellarian taxonomic database

Heterochaerus sargassi Notes


Hyman LH 1939 (citation)- described and illustrated new species.  She could not see reproductive
	organs- dist only by slender form and absence of statocyst.

Marcus E 1947 (citation)- mentions p 161, 168.
Marcus E 1949 (citation)- mention in connection with Convoluta henseni p 9.
Marcus E 1950 (citation)- mentions p 44
Marcus E 1952 (citation)- p 18, 104, 
Marcus E 1953 (citation)- brief comment on p 15.
Steinbock O 1955 (citation)- mentions this species is not ?	
Dorjes J 1968 (citation)- lists.
Dorjes J 1970 (citation)- notes this one of three known species without statocyst, p 262.
Dorjes J, Young JO 1973 (citation)-	
Dorjes J, Karling TG 1975 (citation)- Swedish Museum of Natural History. Brazil, Bermuda.
Winsor L 1990 (citation)- reinstates genus Heterochoerus with two species:
	H. australis Haswell 1905
	H. sargassi (Hyman, 1939)

Winsor L 1990 (citation)- Key to "free-living" marine turbellaria of north Queensland, Australia.  Also, new
species and taxonomic revisons.  Key to free-living acoels for Australia.  Species and taxa include:
     Waminoa litus
     Convolutriloba Henelberg and Akesson 1988
     Convolutriloba hastifera
     Convolutriloba japonica (Kato 1951)
     Convolutriloba cf. retrogemma
     Amphiscolops
     Amphiscolops australis
     Wulguru cuspidata 
     Heterochaerus sargassi (Hyman 1939)
     Heterochaerus australis Haswell 1905

Marcus E 1950 (citation) Pg. 104- "At the shore of the island of Sao Sebastiao a flattened brown Amphiscolops
(Fig. 24-32) with two caudal lobes and without a statocyst was found among Sargassum stenophyllum growing on
stones. The colour is produced by algae (z) that lie principally in the dorsal ectocytium. After Buchner
(1930, p. 134) these algae generally called zooxanthellae are not yet classified. Most of the epicytial nuclei
(c) are depressed. Rhabdites are absent. The strong fibres of the annular musculature (a) are interspaced.
The lateral nerves are united by a pre-cerebral commissure joined to the brain by numerous connectives
(Fig. 27). Eyes developed as pigment-spots lie on the level of the brain. They are not preserved in the
sections. Luther's sense-organs (s) form a dense row on the anterior and laeral borders.
     The testes (t) consist of small groups of a few big cells; their position is more ventral than dorsal.
The male copulatory organ begins ith a vesicle (k) that contains granular secretion; the present material
does not contain any ripe sperms. The long, ciliated male antrum (am) has a strong muscular wall and can
probably be everted. The vagina (l) is long, thick and muscular, and has a ciliated epithelium with
depressed  nuclei. The bursa (y) is loose and bilobate. Each lobule has 2-3 nozzles (Fig. 30) that 
penetrate into a strand (v) of ovarian stroma-cells. These cells begin in the growing zone of each ovary
and trend towards the ventral side, where they touch the surface through interuptions of the epicytium (w).
If the eggs were laid through these interruptions after having been led to them by the strands, the species
would be the first Acoel with efferent female organs.
     Although Miss Hyman's description of A. sargassi does not include he sex
organs, the determination of the present species as A. sargassi is supported by the absence of a statocyst
(only other case known: A. evelinae), the colour, the caudal lobes, the size and shape of the body, and
the occurrence on Sargassum."

Hooge M.D. & Rocha C.E.F. 2006 (citation) p. 14 - report this species from the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Notes from synonyms

Notes for Amphiscolops sargassi

Hyman LH 1939 (citation)- described and illustrated new species.  She could not see reproductive
	organs- dist only by slender form and absence of statocyst.

Marcus E 1947 (citation)- mentions p 161, 168.
Marcus E 1949 (citation)- mention in connection with Convoluta henseni p 9.
Marcus E 1950 (citation)- mentions p 44
Marcus E 1952 (citation)- p 18, 104, 
Marcus E 1953 (citation)- brief comment on p 15.
Steinbock O 1955 (citation)- mentions this species is not ?	
Dorjes J 1968 (citation)- lists.
Dorjes J 1970 (citation)- notes this one of three known species without statocyst, p 262.
Dorjes J, Young JO 1973 (citation)-	
Dorjes J, Karling TG 1975 (citation)- Swedish Museum of Natural History. Brazil, Bermuda.
Winsor L 1990 (citation)- reinstates genus Heterochoerus with two species:
	H. australis Haswell 1905
	H. sargassi (Hyman, 1939)

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