Turbellarian taxonomic database

Hofstenia beltagii Notes

Steinbock O 1966 (citation)- ext view illustration p 64, from Red Sea, also p 63.  Notes it was
	described as H. atrioviridis by Beltagi in his dissertation Zoologische Institute in Wien. He has
	seen preparation and designates it as new species H. beltalgi.
	
Dorjes J 1968 (citation)- lists p 104.

Steinbock (1966) (citation) mentions of H. beltagii:
    p 63
	in Beltagi's 1958 dissertation on turbellarians of Red Sea as H. atroviridis
	description there and sections Riedl sent to Steinbock make him think is new species
	[Steinbock mentions 2 sets of sections on p. 90]
    p 67    
	mottled brown color
    p 73
	NS not clear in poorly fixed specimens
	but plexus discerned in posterior end
    p 76
	brain is small pile of ganglion cells with neuropile surrounding statocyst [like atroviridis, miamia]
	subterminal mouth (like H. atroviridis, H. miamia)
    p 77
	pharynx is 1/3 length of body (like H. atroviridis, H. miamia)
    p 81
	pharynx inner longi and outer circular muscles
	    (as in H atroviridis, H miamia; reverse in Marcusiola and Hofsteniola)
    p 83
	gut lumen? impossible to tell from Beltagi's sections, could be tear
    p 85
	testes diffuse to follicular (like H. miamia)
    p 89
	Beltagi describes male system as lacking seminal vesicle;
	Steinbock says not so, that thin-walled vesicle present
	sylets form a very short tube as they diverge distally, deep in bulb musculature
    p 90
	musculature of penis bulb and v. granulorm stronger dorsally than ventral
	penis pocket present
	proximal portion of male genital canal is widened as antrum,
	    opening almost perpendicular to ventral body wall
	(Steinbock says, though, that he dares not risk a reconstruction of the [2] preparations)
    p 116-117
	systematic position w/ other Hofstenia spp (H. atroviridis, H. giselae, H. miamia)
	NS w/ plexus
    p 124
	male genital canal: proximal part almost ball-shaped with short, steep opening
	ovaries paired, ventral, between midline and lateral margins, reaching from pharynx to tail tip
	    (as in other Hofstenia spp)
    p 127
	agreement of pharynx structure with other Hofstenia spp.
	couldn't find diagonal muscles, but not important
    p 137 -- in key to genera Hofsteniidae + species of Hofstenia:
	male genital canal (antrum masculinum of Steinbock) essentially longer than penis pocket;
	large, 5-9 mm long
	beginning of male genital canal widened into ball shape; end part perpendicular to ventral body wall

Hooge et al. (2007) (citation) -
Page 451. "The lack of any available type material for H. beltagii precludes us from verifying the validity
of this species. The diagnostic characters Steinbock (1966) provides – namely, in the shape of the
male antrum and canal – seem rather weak, since agonistic contraction upon fixaton could easily cause 
such shape differences. He, himself, cautions that the material is poorly preserved and comprises just 
two sets of sections. In all other characters that Steinbock (1966) mentions (structure of the nervous 
system and pharynx, arrangement of ovaries and testes) H. beltagii is like H. miamia and H. giselae, and 
its color is described as mottled brown, also perhaps like that of H. miamia. Lacking type specimens 
and adequately documented distinguishing features, we declare H. beltagi to be a species inquirenda."

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