Turbellarian taxonomic database

Diopisthoporus lofolitis Diagnosis


Hooge MD & Smith JPS 2004 (citation). Male mature specimen ~300 long and ~80 µm wide; male immature specimens
~410 µm long (Figs. 4, 5). Body cylindrical.  Anterior end rounded, posterior end blunt. Epidermis without
coloration by transmitted light.  Epidermis completely  ciliated. Rhabdoid and mucoid glands absent.
	Body-wall musculature a simple gridwork of outer circular muscles and inner longitudinal muscles.  A few
longitudinal fibers angle diagonally at mid-body to cross over other straight diagonal muscles, then resume
their longitudinal orientation (Fig. 5C).
	Frontal organ well developed; cell bodies of frontal glands positioned ~70 µm behind frontal pore (Figs. 4,
5C). 
	Mouth opening terminal at posterior end of body, ventral side; opens to large ciliated pharynx lined with
circular and longitudinal muscle fibers (Figs. 4, 5).
	Ovary unpaired, dorsal.  In male mature specimen ovary extends from statocyst posteriorly to anterior end of
pharynx (Fig. 4). 
	Female gonopore, seminal bursa, and female accessories absent.
Testis unpaired, ventral, compact; separate from ovary.  Testes extend from level of statocyst posteriorly to
level of seminal vesicle.  Sperm from testes extends from ventral to dorsal side to enter proximal end of
seminal vesicle (Fig. 4).
	Male gonopore terminal at posterior end of body; dorsal side.  Gonopore leads to unciliated male antrum
surrounded by mucoid gland cells that stain pink in toluidine blue.  Proximal end of antrum opens to walled
seminal vesicle (Figs. 4, 5B). 

[From Hooge MD, Smith JPS (2004)]


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