Turbellarian taxonomic database

Proporus carolinensis Diagnosis


Hooge MD & Smith JPS 2004 (citation).
Mature specimens 650 to 800 µm long and ~150 µm wide (Figs. 13, 14A, 15A).  Specimens fixed for histological
sectioning contracted considerably.  Body cylindrical.  Anterior end rounded, posterior end tapers to blunt
point.  Epidermis completely ciliated.  Two types of rhabdoid glands present in epithelium; one large and
cylindrically shaped, the other smaller with an irregular shape (Fig. 13, 14B). 
Body-wall musculature a simple gridwork of outer circular muscles and inner longitudinal muscles (Fig. 15C).

Frontal organ well developed; cell bodies of frontal glands positioned ~150 µm behind frontal pore in fixed
specimens (Fig. 13). 
Mouth opening on ventral surface, anterior half of body; usually posterior to statocyst (Fig 13, 14A, 15A),
in one fixed specimen mouth opening extended anterior to level of statocyst (Fig. 15A).  Mouth opens to
ciliated pharynx with well-developed circular and longitudinal muscle fibers (Fig. 13, 15A, C, D).  Digestive
central syncytium extends from frontal glands to posterior end of body.
Ovary unpaired, ventral; extends from level of pharynx posterior to middle of body. (Fig. 13). Eggs not
present in all examined specimens (Fig. 15A).
Testes paired, dorsal, follicular; separate from ovary.  Testes extend posteriorly from position behind
frontal glands to seminal vesicle (Figs. 13, 15A, B).
Female gonopore absent.  Male gonopore terminal at posterior end opens to ciliated, tubular male antrum
(Figs. 13, 15B).  Wall of antrum with circular and longitudinal muscles, lined with nuclei, but without
obvious glands.  Proximal end of antrum opens to seminal vesicle with sperm arranged in parallel with
longitudinal body axis (Figs. 14A, 15B).

[From Hooge MD, Smith JPS (2004)]


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