BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 10 (1): 8-11 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2016 Article No.: e151205 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html

First record of the Family Echinoderidae Zelinka, 1894 (: ) from Turkish Marine Waters

Serdar SÖNMEZ1,*, Nuran Özlem KÖROĞLU2 and Süphan KARAYTUĞ3

1. Adıyaman University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, 02040 Adıyaman, Turkey. 2. Mersin University Silifke Vocational School, 33940, Silifke, Mersin, Turkey. 3. Mersin University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, 33343 Mersin, Turkey. *Corresponding author, S. Sönmez, E-mail: [email protected]

Received: 23. January 2015 / Accepted: 10. May 2015 / Available online: 01. June 2016 / Printed: June 2016

Abstract. During a survey along the Aegean Coast of Turkey, two kinorhynch species which are closely related to gerardi and Echinoderes bispinosus were encountered. The two species are photographed with light microscopy and described briefly. Although the phylum as well as the genus have been known more than 150 years from the Mediterranean Sea, the presence of species of the family Echinoderidae at Turkey have not been reported previously. Therefore this is the first record of the family Echinoderidae from Turkish marine waters and also the first record of the Phylum Kinorhyncha from the Aegean Sea Coast of Turkey.

Key words: Meiofauna, intertidal, Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, distribution.

Introduction attached Olympus BX-50 microscope which is equipped with an Olympus E-330 camera. Focus stacking method was used to obtain The phylum Kinorhyncha is one of the three phyla of Scali- final images with greater depth of field as described in Sönmez et al. (2014). Identifications were made with the aid of Sørensen and Par- dophora which is defined by the following characters: (i) dos (2008), Adrianov et al. (2002) and the original descriptions (Hig- having a moulted chitinous cuticle, (ii) rings of scalids on the gins 1978; 1982). Specimens were deposited in the collection of introvert, (iii) flosculi, and (iv) two rings of introvert retrac- Mersin University Biology Department. tors attached through the collar-shaped brain (Heiner and Sørensen and Pardos (2008) was followed for the measurements Kristensen 2005). Members of the phylum are strictly ma- and the terminology. Abbreviations used in the text and figures are: rine, benthic, small (102µm-1100 µm) and segmented meta- la for lateral accessory spine; ltas for lateral terminal accessory spine; zoans that inhabit mostly in muddy sediments of the oceans lts for lateral terminal spine; lv for lateroventral spine; md4-md7 for and inland seas (Sørensen and Pardos 2008). The phylum is middorsal spine on the trunk segments 4-7; MSW for maximum sternal width; s1-s11 for the trunk segments 1-11; SW for standart considered to have a world-wide distribution from polar to width; TL for trunk length and vl for ventrolateral spine. tropical regions, and from the intertidal to abyssal depths, and comprises about 200 species (Yamasaki et al. 2014) which are distributed in 23 genera (Dal Zotto et al. 2013, Results Sørensen 2013, Sánchez et al. 2014). During a survey exploring the harpacticoid copepods Order: Cyclorhagida (Zelinka, 1896) Higgins, 1964 along the Aegean Coast of Turkey, two kinorhynch species Family: Echinoderidae Zelinka, 1894 which are closely related to Echinoderes gerardi Higgins, 1978 Genus: Echinoderes Claparède, 1863 and Echinoderes bispinosus Higgins, 1982 were encountered in phytal and interstitial samples. Although the phylum as well Echinoderes aff. gerardi Higgins, 1978 as the genus has been known for more than 150 years from Material examined: 1 ♀ from algal washings, intertidal zone, the Mediterranean Sea (Higgins 1978), the presence of the Doğanbey Beach, İzmir, Turkey, 38˚ 03’ 47.5” N; 26˚ 54’ 10.3” kinorhynch species at Mediterranean and Aegean Coasts of E, 25.10.2012. Turkey have not been reported previously. The only record Description: Adult female with head, neck and 11 trunk of the phylum is that of Băcescu (1961), who reported Pycno- segments (Fig. 1-2). TL 261 µm, MSW 68 µm at 8th segment, phyes communis Zelinka, 1908 (Pycnophyidae) from the pre- SW 63 µm. Basal plates of subventral trichoscalids broader Bosphorus region of Black Sea. Therefore this is the first re- than long, centered above subventral placids, basal plates of cord of the genus Echinoderes as well as the family Echinode- subdorsal trichoscalids almost squarish, centered above ridae from Turkish marine waters. subdorsal placids. Neck with 16 placids, equal in length (16 µm), medioventral placid widest, slightly tapering to the an-

terior margin, 14 µm at base, 10 µm at top. Trunk segment Material and methods surfaces covered with evenly distributed fine hairs. Interstitial and phytal samples were collected from the intertidal S1 closed cuticular ring, with one sensory spot in mid- zone of Aegean Sea Coast of Turkey as described in Alper et al (2010) dorsal position, posterior margin without pectinate fringe. and immediately fixed in a 4% formalin solution. Kinorhynchs were S2 closed cuticular ring, posteroventral margin with pecti- separated from the detritus by a Pasteur pipette under an Olympus nate fringe, bears one middorsal sensory spot and a pair of SZX-16 stereo microscope. Specimens were dehydrated through a naked ventrolateral spines (24 µm). S3-11 with one tergal graded series of glycerine and mounted in 100% glycerine. Broken and two sternal plates. S3 bears one middorsal glandular cell cover glass pieces were added between slide and cover glass to pre- outlets type 1 (gco1). S4-7 with one short middorsal spine vent being compressed, and to facilitate rotation and manipu- (md4 6.5 µm, md5 9.5 µm, md6 11.3 µm, md7 12.7 µm) and lation. The specimens were examined and photographed with a DIC

First Record of the Family Echinoderidae from Turkey 9

Figure 1. Echinoderes aff. gerardi, female, A) ventral overview; B) s3-8, dorsal view, white circles indicate the md4-7, black arrows indicate the sensory spots; C) lateral overview.

Figure 2. Echinoderes aff. gerardi, female, A) s1, 2, ventral view; B) s1, 2 , dorsal view; C) s9-11, ventral view; D) s10-11, dorsal view.

two subdorsal sensory spots. S5-9 bear a pair of lateroventral Beach, Mordoğan, İzmir, Turkey, 38˚ 28’ 20.3” N; 26˚ 36’ spines. S8 with lateral accessory spine. S9 bears a pair of sen- 40.9” E, 27.10.2012. sory spots in paradorsal positions. S11 with tergal extension Description: Adult female with head, neck and 11 trunk as in figure 2C-D, bearing a pair of lts (180 µm) and ltas (55 segments (Fig 3-4). TL 290 µm, MSW 53 µm at 7th segment, µm). SW 46 µm. Neck with 16 placids, equal in length 12,5 µm, medioventral plate widest, slightly tapering to the anterior Echinoderes aff. bispinosus Higgins, 1982 margin, 11 µm at base, 6 µm at top. Trunk segment surfaces Material examined: 1 ♀ from interstitial sample, İmren ornamented with patches of fine hairs with distinctive bases,

10 S. Sönmez et al.

Figure 3. Echinoderes aff. bispinosus, female, overview, A) lateral , B) ventral.

Figure 4. Echinoderes aff. bispinosus, female, dorsal view A) s1-4; B) s4-6; C) s9; D) s11; white circles indicate sensory spots, black arrows indicate md4 and md6.

posterior margins covered with pectinate fringes. a tergal extension as in figure 4D, bears a pair of lts (164 µm) S1 closed cuticular ring, with one sensory spot in mid- and a pair of ltas (36 µm). dorsal position. S2 closed cuticular ring, bearing one mid- dorsal gco1 and a pair of tubes (16 µm) in lateroventral posi- tion. S3-11 with one tergal and two sternal plates. S3 bears Discussion one middorsal sensory spot. S4 with one middorsal spine (19,2 µm) and a pair of sensory spots located in paradorsal E. gerardi was originally described by Higgins (1978) from position. S5 with a pair of lateroventral tubes (17 µm) and a the pore chambers of a sponge (Tethya aurantium (Pall.)) sensory spot at middorsal position. S6 bears a pair of which was collected from the Gulf of Tunis. When compared lateroventral spines (19.3 µm), a pair of sensory spots located with the original description, our specimen is very similar to in paradorsal position and a middorsal spine (21 µm). S7 E. gerardi in all other aspects except the number of middorsal with a pair of lateroventral spines (20 µm), and a sensory spines. Our specimen has 4 md (md4-7) while the original spot in middorsal position. S8 with a pair of lateroventral description there is 5 (md4-8). Although it is a very impor- spines (21 µm) and a pair of sensory spots located in para- tant character that can define a species, the paucity of the dorsal position. S9 bears a pair of lateroventral spine (27.5 material (only 1 female) restricts us to give the decision that µm) and a pair of sensory spots located in paradorsal posi- if the lack of the middorsal spine on the segment 8 is a con- tion. S10 with a sensory spot in middorsal position. S11 with sistent character within the population.

First Record of the Family Echinoderidae from Turkey 11

Figure 5. Echinoderes aff. bispinosus, female, ventral view, A) s1-5; B) s2-6; C) s6-10; D) s8-11. Black arrows indicate lateral accessory spines.

The one and only record of E. bispinosus is from Ber- Dal Zotto, M., Di Domenico, M., Garraffoni, A., Sørensen, M.V. (2013): muda, North Atlantic, where it was originally described. Franciscideres gen. nov.–a new, highly aberrant kinorhynch genus from Brazil, with an analysis of its phylogenetic position. Systematics and Then Sorensen (2014) redescribed the species from the holo- Biodiversity 11: 303-321. type. Although our specimen is generally in agreement with Heiner, I., Kristensen, R.M. (2005): Two new species of the genus Pliciloricus the original description and the redescription of Sorensen (Loricifera, Pliciloricidae) from the Faroe Bank, North Atlantic. Zoologischer Anzeiger 243: 121-138. (2014), we could not observe the gco2’s at the segment 2. But Higgins, R.P. (1978) Echinoderes gerardi n. sp. and E. riedli (Kinorhyncha) from we believe that it is very hard to justify a new species with the Gulf of Tunis. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 97: this subtle difference which is obtained from the observation 171-180. Higgins, R.P. (1982): Three new species of Kinorhyncha from Bermuda. of only one individual with the light microscopy. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 101: 305-316. It is well known that kinorhynchs usually inhabit the Sanchez, N., Pardos, F., Sørensen, M.V. (2014): A new kinorhynch genus, uppermost 2-3 cm of the sediments due to the oxygen avail- Mixtophyes (Kinorhyncha: Homalorhagida), from the Guinea Basin deep- sea, with new data on the family Neocentrophyidae. Helgolang Marine ability (Sørensen and Pardos 2008). As the sampling method Research 68: 221-239. used in this study was not designed to collect kinorhynchs, Sørensen, M.V. (2013): Phylum Kinorhyncha. In: Zhang, Z.-Q.(Ed.) Animal we could not get enough number of individuals for detailed Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of examination such as SEM. Therefore we conclude that inten- Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703: 63-66. Sørensen, M.V. (2014): First account of echinoderid kinorhynchs from Brazil, sive sampling with proper methods is needed to reveal the with the description of three new species. Marine Biodiversity, 44:251-274. true diversity of kinorhynchs of Turkish marine waters. Sørensen, M.V., Pardos, F. (2008): Kinorhynch systematics and biology-an introduction to the study of kinorhynchs, inclusive identification keys to the genera. Meiofauna Marina 16: 21-73. Sönmez, S., Sak, S., Karaytuğ, S. (2014): Marine interstitial and phytal Miraciidae Dana, 1846 (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida) inhabiting References along the mediolittoral zone of Turkish coasts. Journal of Anatolian Natural Sciences 5: 52-87. Adrianov, A.V., Murakami, C., Shirayama, Y. (2002): Echinoderes aureus n. sp. Yamasaki, H., Hiruta, S.F., Kajihara, H., Dick, M.H. (2014): Two Kinorhynch (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida) from Tanabe Bay (Honshu Island), Japan, with Species (Cyclorhagida, Echinoderidae, Echinoderes) Show Different a key to the genus Echinoderes. Species Diversity: an International Journal Distribution Patterns Across Tsugaru Strait, Northern Japan. Zoological for , Systematics, Speciation, Biogeography, and Life History Science 31: 421-429. Research of 7: 47-66. Alper, A., Karaytuğ, S., Sak, S. (2010): Interstitial and Phytal Harpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda) inhabiting the Mediolittoral Zone of the Datça- Bozburun Peninsulas (Muğla, Turkey). SDU Journal of Science 5: 16-28. Băcescu, M. (1961): Le role des iles dans la dispersion récente des espèces indo- pacifiques en Méditerranée occidentale et quelques observations sur la faune marine de L’ile des serpents, en comparaison avec celle peuplants les parages prébosphoriques de la Mer Noire V., Le Peuplement des Iles Méditerraneennes et la Problème de L’insularité, Banyuls-sur-Mer.