Turbellarian taxonomic database

Kata evelinae Notes

Marcus E 1949 {2920) pg. 101:  Kata, n. g., with K. evelinae, n. sp. as type (Figs. 70-79) from the
coarse-grained sand at the beach of the island of São Sebastião, has two pairs of ciliated tufts, one of them
in pits; a tubular pharynx; cilia of the Otoplana-type; all nuclei of the epidermis is depressed: and very
peculiar structures in the male and female apparatus.  The latter has two dorsal pores that lead to the
vaginae.  Each vagina communicates with a bursa copulatrix that opens entally into the ovovitelloduct.  The
eggs and the yolk are led to the atrium by a common ovovitelloduct that originates by junction of two
transverse branches of the ovovitelloducts of different length.  Apart from the ventral position of the pores,
vaginae, and bursae, the Bdellouridae (Tricladidia Maricola) have similar female organs.  Without
morphological parallels is a capillary canal of Kata (Fig. 78, co) that runs from the efferent duct to the
intestine, and lies in front of the pharynx.  By this canal an excess of sperm is conducted into the
intracellular vacuoles of the intestinal epithelium.  Functionally the accessory male canal of Otoplana
intermedia may be similar, but it was always found empty (Hofsten 1918, p. 50).  There are no signs that thet
organism of Otoplana makes use of the sperms, if they are not perhaps phagocyted by the evidently hig parietal
cells of the accessory canal.'

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