unciherpia Hirsuta a New Genus and Species of Aplacophoran (Mollusca Solenogastres: Pararrhopaliidae) from Galicia, Northwest Spain

Author： GARCÍA-ALVAREZ O.

Publisher： Oxford University Press

ISSN： 1464-3766

Source： Journal of Molluscan Studies, Vol.67, Iss.1, 2001-02, pp. : 113-120

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Abstract

During the sampling expeditions of the project FAUNA IBERICA, 14 specimens of a new species and genus of Solenogastres, Unciherpia hirsuta, were collected from the Banco de Galicia (NW Spain) (42°42′22″–42°43′00″; 11°47′52″W–11°45′47″W) found on Xthe coral Madrepora oculata (Linnaeus, 1758) at 760–769 m. depth. This new species is characterized by a body of 10.8 mm in length by 1.3 mm in width, without keel or lumps. Spicules are of four types: long, straight with a harpoon tip; acicular, slightly, curved with a serrated end; acicular and slightly sigmoid; and hooked with a sharp tip over the hook and the proximal end sigmoid-shaped. The mouth opening lies in the atrium; the ventral groove has one fold that does not enter the pallial cavity; there are 16 follicular glands encircling the pharynx and opening into it; there is a pair of short rostral caecum; one dorsoterminal sense organ; and eight respiratory folds. The creation of a new subfamily Unciherpiinae, of the family Pararrhopalidae is proposed to classify the new genera Unciherpia. This new sub-family is diagnosed by the hooked spicules and follicular glands around the pharynx.