Additions to the deep-sea echiuran (Echiura) fauna of the North-East Atlantic
Author
Biseswar, Ramlall
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag x 54001, Durban 4000 (Republic of South Africa) moodleygk @ ukzn. ac. za
moodleygk@ukzn.ac.za
text
Zoosystema
2006
28
4
853
864
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.4689879
cccd251f-0aff-456c-aecc-5eccc5824fe8
1638-9387
4689879
Alomasoma
sp.
(
Fig. 4B
)
MATERIAL
EXAMINED. — Porcupine Abyssal Plain, BEN- GAL 5, Discovery 231, stn 13368#48,
48°49.64’N
,
16°30.12’W
,
4841 m
,
17.III.1998
,
1 ♀
.
DESCRIPTION
Colour of trunk cream, proboscis white in preserved state. Proboscis truncate,
0.75 mm
long, flattened and rounded distally; lateral margins curl inwards and unite proximally forming narrow lower lip ventral to mouth (
Fig. 4B
). Trunk oval (
Fig. 4B
),
2.5 mm
long and
2 mm
across broadest part. Integument smooth, thin and transparent. Ventral setae absent.
FIG. 4. —
A
,
Prometor
sp., lateral view of anterior part of female;
B
,
Alomasoma
sp., ventral view of female;
C
,
Bruunellia
sp., ventral view of female. Abbreviations:
pr
, proboscis;
se
, seta. Scale bars: A, C, 0.5 mm; B, 1 mm.
Gonoducts one pair, sac-like with eggs which unite proximally and open to exterior by single genital aperture. Gonostomes basal in position. Intestine filled with fine sand not moulded into faecal pellets. Rest of internal organs damaged.
REMARKS
The present specimen has been assigned to the genus
Alomasoma
Zenkevitch, 1958
on account of the presence of two gonoducts which unite proximally and open to the exterior via a common gonopore. This sexually mature specimen with a trunk length of
2.5 mm
is extremely small in comparison with all the other species described in the genus. Therefore, it seems very likely that the specimen on hand represents an undescribed species. However, it is undesirable to erect a new species on the basis of single, incomplete individual. Additional material in the future will probably shed more light on its taxonomic position.