A New Species of Paraturbanella Remane, 1927 (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida) from the Brazilian Coast, and the Molecular Phylogeny of Turbanellidae Remane, 1926

Abstract

The family Turbanellidae includes Paraturbanella and five other genera. Despite the fact that the monophyly of these genera were not satisfactorily tested, species belonging to the genus Paraturbanella are distinguished from turbanellids by sharing a peculiar group of tubes on the ventrolateral side of the anterior pharyngeal region known as “dohrni” tubes. In this study, Paraturbanella tricaudata species nova (sp. nov.) from the intertidal zone of a sandy beach in Trindade (Rio de Janeiro State) and the sublittoral sand of Prumirim Island (São Paulo State), Brazil, is described. The new species can be distinguished from all other Paraturbanella species by the presence of three caudal cones (one medial and two laterals to it) and peculiar arrangement of the male system. This is the first description of a Paraturbanella species from Brazil and the third registered from the Southern Hemisphere (as opposed to 19 species in the Northern Hemisphere); thus, knowledge of marine gastrotrichs biodiversity in this region is far from satisfactory.

New Data on Reproductive System and Spermatozoa Confirm Macrodasys as a Model in Comparative Reproductive Analysis in Macrodasyida (Gastrotricha)

“…Variations on this rather common organization of the reproductive system include taxa possessing two ovaries and/or a single testis, others that lack the caudal organ or the frontal organ, and others that have even developed a sclerotized stylet to facilitate sperm transfer, etc., see [5]. The position of the gonads and the accessory reproductive organs may also vary among taxa, and the organization of the reproductive structures (presence/absence of some organs) and their layout (position along the body and in relation to each other) has proved to be of taxonomic and phylogenetic significance (e.g., [6][7][8]).…”

Editorial for Special Issue “Meiofauna Biodiversity and Ecology”

“…The manuscripts published in this Special Issue cover not only topics in the traditional morphological taxonomy of meiofaunal groups (Gastrotricha: [8]; Nematoda: [9]; Copepoda: [10,11]), but also studies combining both morphological and molecular approaches (Gastrotricha: [12]; Nematoda: [13]).…”