Turbellarian taxonomic database

Pseudohaplogonaria cerasina Diagnosis


Hooge MD & Smith JPS 2004 (citation).
Mature specimens approximately 650 µm long and 100 µm wide (Figs. 11, 12A).  Body cylindrical.  Anterior and
posterior ends rounded. Uncolored body by transmittted light. 
Epidermis completely ciliated.  Many bright red as well as uncolored rhabdoids present in body wall; mostly
concentrated on ventral side (Fig. 11, 12C).

Musculature with circular muscles that encircle the body along entire length of animal; straight longitudinal
muscles present between frontal organ and anterior edge of mouth; longitudinal muscles with a longitudinal
orientation anteriorly but then bend medially to cross diagonally over the body (longitudinal-cross-over
fibers) present in both dorsal and ventral body wall; anterior end with ventral diagonal muscles positioned
between outer circular and inner longitudinal muscles (data not shown). 

Frontal organ well developed; cell bodies of frontal glands positioned ~250 µm behind frontal pore (Fig. 11A,
B). 

Mouth opening on ventral surface, middle of body.  Digestive central syncytium extends nearly entire length
of body.

Ovary unpaired, ventral; extends from mouth posteriorly to bursal nozzle (Fig. 11B).

Testes paired, dorsal, compact; separate from ovary.  Testes extend anteriorly to position ~220 µm behind
anterior tip and posteriorly to male copulatory organ.

Female gonopore and vagina absent.  Seminal bursa leads to robust bursal nozzle ~30 µm in length (Figs. 11B,
C, 12B, D).

Male gonopore ventral, at posterior end; leads to non-muscular penis composed of spongy tissue with large
nuclei (Figs. 11C, 12B, D).  Large masses of sperm present at lateral sides of penis; true seminal vesicle
absent.

[From Hooge MD, Smith JPS (2004)]


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