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AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1266 the AMERICAN MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY December 10, 1944 New York City

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AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1266 the AMERICAN MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY December 10, 1944 New York City AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1266 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY December 10, 1944 New York City MARINE TURBELLARIA FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA BY LIBBIE H. HYMAN Accumulated material of marine flat- not preserve), apparently cellular, although worms from our Atlantic coast, chiefly the cell walls are distinguishable with difficulty coast of Maine and Newfoundland, has from the striated appearance common to furnished the occasion for this paper. The acoel epidermis. As is usual among the larger marine Turbellaria of our Atlantic Acoela, the epidermis is divided by an ap- coast are probably now fairly well known, parently fibrous membrane into a narrow but very much remains to be done on the border containing the basal bodies of the small and minute forms. cilia and a broader inner stratum contain- ing the nuclei (fig. 2). Rhabdites seen in ORDER ACOELA living worm, but not apparent on sections. Epidermis contains clear spaces, somewhat FAMILY PROPORIDAE more nuimerous anteriorly, continuity of AFRONTA, NEW GENUS these spaces with clear channels in mesen- DEFINITION: Proporidae without frontal chyme plainly seen (fig. 2). These channels pore or cluster of frontal glands and with- seem to lead to the mesenchymal vacuoles. out accessory female parts; mouth behind No epidermal gland cells found. No cluster middle, pharynx short; single genital pore, of frontal glands or frontal pore present. male, at rear end; penis simple, without Whether isolated frontal glands exist or papilla. not could not be determined with certainty. TYPE: Afronta aurantiaca. A few bluish masses (haematoxylin stain) occur behind the brain that might be fron- Afronta aurantiaca, new species tal glands, but they did not show any defi- nite structure and could not be traced to the Figures 1-3 anterior end. Epidermis lacks basement MATERIAL: One specimen, sectioned. membrane; is bounded from mesenchyme FORM: Cylindroid, rounded at both by definite muscle layer of outer circular ends, 2 mm. long (fig. 1). and inner longitudinal fibers (figs. 2 and 3). COLOR: Orange yellow, whitish at ends, Mesenchyme has usual appearance-a dorsal surface with short elongated clumps granular vacuolated syncytium (fig. 3); of brownish granules. large spaces occur around penis, smaller EYES: Lacking. but still conspicuous ones in the peripheral GENERAL STRUCTURE: Although the mesenchyme, and quite small spaces in the fixation (hot Flemming's strong solution) is central mesenchyme. Numerous nuclei excellent, the plane of the sections is unfor- in the peripheral, few in the central, mesen- tunate, being obliquely horizontal, slanting chyme. Parenchymal muscle fibers pres- from left to right so that on any section, ent, forming a lattice of longitudinal and right-hand structures are more dorsal transverse fibers (fig. 3). than left-hand ones. Further, a piece has or less been sliced off the posterior dorsal region, Brain well developed (fig. 3), more apparently in trimming the block. These quadripartite, sending two main bundles circumstances have detracted from a and some smaller ones forward, and two proper study of the specimen. main bundles together with many other Epidermis completely ciliated (cilia did fibers backward. Statocyst present in 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES [No. 1266 posterior dorsal part of brain, fusiform, di- plump, ends narrowed, posterior end ter- vided into three compartments, of which minates in adhesive disk, less than 1 mm. central one contains the statolith (fig. 3). long (figs. 4-7). Mouth well behind middle (fig. 3), leads COLOR: White; interior yellow during into short pharynx that is simply inturned sexual maturity. epidermis, not differentiated in any way. EYES: Lacking. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: Simple; gon- GENERAL STRUCTURE: Four specimens ads consist of paired strands of gameto- were sectioned, and although the sec- gonia, testes lateral and dorsal to ovaries. tions are fairly good, some details No accessory female parts found. Indefi- could not be determined. Body is com- nite sperm ducts lead to cap-like seminal pletely ciliated according to Dr. Rein- vesicle closely applied over anterior sur- hard's observations on living specimens; face of penis (fig. 3). Penis consists of cilia were lacking on preserved animals. rounded mass at posterior end of worm; Body lacks typical epidermis; is clothed non-muscular but contains many nuclei. with a narrow, apparently structureless Long narrow lumen opens internally into membrane (fig. 8) of firm, elastic nature, seminal vesicle, externally by male gono- thrown into folds wherever contraction pore at posterior end of worm (fig. 3); occurs. Presumably epidermis is, there- lumen lined by hardened material; no fore, of the "insunk" type, common among penis papilla seen. Sperm appear to be of Acoela, in which the nuclei are sunk into short thick shape. the mesenchyme. No trace of frontal LOCALITY: Mt. Desert Island, Maine, glands. Anterior tip contains elongated dredged in surface mud at a depth of 30 eosinophilous structures, probably rham- feet, near the Mt. Desert Island Biological mites (fig. 8); no rhabdites found. Rear Laboratory, August 16, 1937. end forms circular adhesive disk covered TYPE: One set of serial sections (one with adhesive papillae (fig. 8), to which slide) deposited in A.M.N.H., Cat. No. could be traced eosinophilous strands in 339. underlying mesenchyme, presumably out- REMARKS: This is the specimen men- lets of eosinophilous gland cells, but not tioned in my 1938 report as a species of clearly distinct from muscle fibers, also Plagiostomum. Sections showed the animal eosinophilous. Epidermal membrane has to be an acoel, not an alloeocoel. A new sharp inner boundary, just inside which is genus appeared to be necessitated by the subepidermal musculature, chiefly of longi- lack of frontal glands, lack of differentiated tudinal fibers; circular fibers were not pharynx, and simple tubular penis without definitely seen. Longitudinal muscle layer papilla. gradually increases in thickness towards posterior elid and is well developed in con- ECTOCOTYLIDAE, NEW FAMILY nection with adhesive disk. DEFINITION: Acoela of ectocommensal Mesenchyme consists of loose granular habits, with tubular plicate pharynx, and material, containing scattered nuclei, more caudal adhesive disk. abundant ventrally. No mesenchymal muscle fibers seen. ECTOCOTYLA, NEW GENUS Well-developed brain present just an- DEFINITION: Ectocotylidae with armed terior to pharynx; consists of oval mass, penis, seminal bursa with one nozzle, and granular in center, encircled by nerve cells two genital pores. (fig. 8); no definite nerve strands seen. TYPE: Ectocotyla paguri. Statocyst embedded in anterior surface of brain. Ectocotyla paguri, new species PHARYNX: Is unique among the Acoela Figures 4-8 in being of the plicate, protrusible type, MATERIAL: Number of specimens sent similar to that of planarians. When pro- by Dr. E. G. Reinhard. truded was seen to be (covered with cilia- FORM: Fusiform, curved, middle part and to be armed with a;7few spines (fig. 4), 1944] TURBELLARIA FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST 3 according to observations of Dr. Reinhard LOCALITY: Biological station of the on living specimens; spines were not seen University of Maine, Ellsworth, Maine, in sections. Pharynx lies in pharyngeal epizoic on Pagurus pubescens, collected cavity opening by mouth anterior to middle August, 1940, by Dr. E. G. Reinhard. of body (fig. 8), shortly behind brain. COTYPES: Several specimens mounted Pharyngeal cavity and outer and inner sur- whole (one slide) and set of sections (one faces of pharynx lined by same structureless slide), A.M.N.H., Cat. Nos. 340, 341. membrane as general body surface. Under REMARKS: This animal is remarkable in epidermis, thin layer of longitudinal muscle several ways: in the possession of a plicate fibers; interior of pharynx consists of pharynx, hitherto unknown among the mesenchyme with nuclei, concentrated near Acoela, in the presence of a caudal adhesive the surfaces; along center of mesenchyme disk, also not previously found in the eosinophilous strands occur, probably order, and in its ectccommensal habits. pharyngeal glands, seeming to open at dis- This appears to be the first ectocommensal tal end of pharynx. Pharynx leads di- acoel found, although 'several entocommen- rectly into mesenchyme. sals are known, inhabiting the interior of REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: What were pre- echinoderms. sumed to be testes consist of several com- pact groups of spermatogonia in latero- ORDER ALLOEOCOELA ventral regions (fig. 8). No ovaries or FAMILY PLAGIOSTOMIDAE ovogonia were found but all specimens con- tain in ventral part of plump central body Plagiostomum album Hyman, 1938 region, round deeply staining masses, each Figures 9-11 lodged in a mesenchymal compartment MATERIAL: Several specimens collected bounded by fibers. These masses appear to in tidal zone on shores of Mt. Desert Island, be syncytia, composed of areas with small Maine. nuclei and other areas of larger nuclei. It FORM: Plump, cylindroid, to 4 mm. long is presumed that these masses are embryos (fig. 9), anterior end slightly narrowed, and hence that the animal is viviparous. blunt, posterior end forming a little tail Separate male and female gonopores pres- or at times or in larger specimens rounded ent. Male gonopore in front of stalk-like or indented. posterior end; leads into tubular cavity COLOR: White with a black spot be- whose inner end contains the penis. Penis tween, and in front of, the eyes and a deli- consists
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