Turbellarian taxonomic database

Haplogonaria phyllospadicis Diagnosis


Hooge MD & Tyler S 2003 (citation) -  Mature specimens approximately 450 µm long and 100 µm wide (Figs. 1, 2A,
3).  Body cylindrical.  Anterior and posterior ends rounded.  
Epidermis completely ciliated.  Rhabdoids appear in distinct rows in live animals; in sectioned material
rhabdoids are uncommon and scattered.  Gland cells with spherical secretions scattered; mostly concentrated on
ventral side (Fig. 1B).
	Musculature with circular muscles that encircle the body along entire length of animal, but are inclined at
caudal tip (as previously described for Convoluta pulchra, see Ladurner and Rieger 2000); straight
longitudinal muscles present between frontal organ and anterior edge of mouth; longitudinal muscles with a
longitudinal orientation anteriorly that bend medially to cross diagonally over the body
(longitudinal-cross-over fibers) present in both dorsal and ventral body wall (Fig. 3).
	Frontal organ well developed; cell bodies of frontal glands positioned ~130 µm behind frontal pore (Fig. 1B).

	Mouth opening on ventral surface, middle of body.  Digestive central syncytium extends from frontal glands
posteriorly to level of male copulatory apparatus.
	Ovary unpaired, ventral; extend from anterior half of body posteriorly to seminal bursa (Fig. 1B).
	Testes paired, dorsal, compact; separate from ovary.  Testes extend anteriorly to frontal glands and extend
posteriorly to level of male copulatory organ.
	Female gonopore opens to unciliated vagina with a thick wall ringed by spaced sphincter muscles (Figs. 1, 2,
4).  Distal end of vagina with small granules.  Bursa wall appears present in living specimens, but indistinct
in sectioned material.
	Male gonopore situated close to female gonopore, leads to sperm-filled seminal vesicle (Figs. 1, 2, 4).  Wall
of seminal vesicle composed of widely spaced muscle fibers and large nuclei (Figs. 1C, 2B).  Invaginated penis
absent.

[From Hooge MD, Tyler S (2003)]


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