| Popis: |
A hermaphroditic adult of a new species of Rugiloricus was discovered in the deep sea of the Channel of Mozambique at 3,400 m water depth. This is the first report of Loricifera from the Indian Ocean. The adult of R. renaudae sp. nov. differs from similar species in having a mouth cone of medium size with a long, narrow, distally pointed first section; a mouth opening surrounded by four small denticle-like oral teeth; the long distal parts of the clavoscalids with a fine ventral serration; the proximal parts of the clavoscalids with a dorsal serration and stalked bases; a short, thin, transformed ventral pair of clavoscalids which partly looks like the spinoscalids of the second row; these spinoscalids divided into four segments, the three distal segments being laterally winged with serrated edges; the type B scalids of the fourth row end in indistinct hooks; the bristle-like scalids of the third to eighth rows with a fine serration; the trichoscalids differ slightly in length, but not in structure; the lorica plicae with double primary ridges and a single secondary ridge; a very small anal cone with a pair of narrow standing warts. The hermaphroditic adults have a single ovary and a single testis. These findings support earlier hypotheses regarding the life cycle of other Rugiloricus-species. |
