Description and morphology of the " Juan de Fuca vent mussel ", Benthomodioluserebus sp. n. (Bivalvia, Mytilidae, Bathymodiolinae): " Phylogenetically basal but morphologically advanced "
Author
Oliver, P. Graham
text
Zoosystematics and Evolution
2015
91
2
151
165
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5417
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5417
1860-0743-2-151
D2E0E6B8EFAB4D2593E664B9C212679D
Taxon
classification Animalia Mytiloida Mytilidae
Benthomodiolus geikotsucola Okutani & Miyazaki, 2007
Benthomodiolus geikotsucola
Okutani & Miyazaki, 2007: 49-55, figs 2-3.
Material examined.
Holotype. 1 shell, NSMT-Mo-76703, Summit of Torishima Seamount,
30°55'N
141°49'E
, 4020m. Not examined, image courtesy of NSMT.
Paratype. 1 specimen, NSMT Mo-76704j as holotype.
Shell.
The holotype (Fig. 6a) is slightly larger than any of the shells of
Benthomodiolus erebus
reaching 42.5 mm. The paratype dissected here (Fig. 6
b-d
) was 28.1 mm in length. The shell is umbonate, narrowly arcuate in outline and medially sulcate; in these there is strong similarity to
Benthomodiolus erebus
. The beaks are rather distant from the anterior margin, more so than in B. erebus with a total length /anterior length of 0.28 compared with a value of 0.24 for
Benthomodiolus erebus
. As in
Benthomodiolus erebus
the periostracum is smooth and devoid of hairs.
Figures 6.
a-d
Shells of
Benthomodiolus geikotsucola
Okutani and Miyazaki, 2007. a exterior of left valve of holotype (NSMT-Mo-7670349),
b-d
of the dissected paratype (NSMT Mo-76704j).
Pedal byssus musculature.
The arrangement of the pedal and adductor muscles (Fig. 7
b-c
) is almost identical to that in
Benthomodiolus erebus
in that the byssal retractors (pbr2 and pbr1) are widely separated with pbr2 attached in the rear of the umbonal cavity. Both the anterior pedal retractor (apr) and posterior byssal retractor (pbr1) are slender. The posterior protractor muscle (ppr) in
Benthomodiolus geikotsucola
is very slender and simple and lacking the secondary muscles (sppr) seen in
Benthomodiolus erebus
.
Figure 7. Gross anatomy of
Benthomodiolus geikotsucola
stained with methylene green. a after removal of left valve and mantle, b after further removal of the ctenidium, c diagram of the adductor, pedal and byssal musculature.
Ctenidium
and labial palps.
The ctenidium consists of both demibranchs and as in
Benthomodiolus erebus
the filaments are relatively short (Fig. 7a, 4f). The ascending and descending arms of the filaments are fused for over half their lengths and the abfrontal surface is extending creating a triangular laminar form to each filament (Fig. 4g). The filaments have a single row of ciliary junctions on the ascending and descending arms (Fig. 4
g-h
). The abfrontal surface is composed of polygonal cushions of microvilli.
Mantle
edge and apertures.
The mantle edge is free for most of its length and fused only posteriorly to separate the ventral gape for the exhalant aperture. The entire length of the ventral gape the middle fold is thrown into a dense series of folds (Fig. 7a, mef) and in this unlike the almost lack of folding seen in
Benthomodiolus erebus
.
Alimentary system.
The stomach was not dissected. The gut follows a similar path to that in
Benthomodiolus erebus
but the hindgut loop is distinct with a short reversed portion (Fig. 7b, hgl).