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(Platyhelminthes, Department of Biology, Descriptions of Provided So Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 49 (1): 153-161 1979 New freshwater triclads from Tasmania (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria) by Ian R. Ball & Tran Thi Vinh-Hao Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and Institute of Taxonomie Zoology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract characters that usually require the preparation of serial in often entire sections are given parentheses; however, Three new freshwater triclads are described from Tasmanian cleared specimens will suffice for the of lakes. Two of first records of recognition diag- these represent the the genus nostic characters. Spathula in Tasmania and the third belongs to the endemic genus Romankenkius. The taxonomic affinities of the species are discussed and keys to all the Tasmanian genera and SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS These be species are provided. keys are to regarded as Family DUGESIIDAE Ball, 1974a provisional since it is likely that there remain many planarian species to be discovered and described from Tasmania. to the Tasmanian of freshwater Key genera plan- arians INTRODUCTION 1. Anterior margin with two auricular streaks and four pairs three Only species of freshwater planarians, or of sensory fossae; (testes reduced to one or two pairs; triclads have hitherto been described from Tas- male atrium with radial muscle plates; penial papilla and Cura see 1974b) long slender) . (1 species, Ball, mania (Ball, 1974b). Two of these belong to Anterior with two of margin one or pairs sensory fossae, the endemic Romankenkius the genus and third, and two ciliated pits (testes numerous and close-packed; Cura is in stout 2 pinguis, a species widespread Australia, male atrium normal; penis a cone or cylinder) . 2. Anterior ramus of intestine without diverticula New Zealand, and New Caledonia. The absence preocellar caudal and shell (oviducts, with at most a tiny branch, of of the any representatives genus Spathula, the glands enter a posterior diverticulum of the bursal diverse most Notogaean genus, has been held to canal) Romankenkius of be Anterior ramus intestine with one or two pairs of a zoogeographical anomaly (Ball, 1977a) but preocellar diverticula (oviducts, with a long caudal it is here resolved by of two new descriptions branch, and shell glands enter the bursal canal direct- A species from the island. third new species of the ly) Spathula endemic Romankenkius is also described. genus Genus Romankenkius Ball, 1974b to the Tasmanian and Keys genera species are and facilitate further to the known of Romankenkius provided so as to encourage Key Species work the fauna of this on interesting region. 1. Colour fawn with two dark longitudinal strips (testes extend to the R. bilineatus But caution must be exercised in attempting to copulatory apparatus) . sp. nov. Uniformly and darkly pigmented (testes prepharyngeal) fit discovered newly specimens into these pro- 2 visional For old the keys. a group as as planarians 2. (Testes dorsal; penis with prostatic vesicle) kenki Ball, a total of six Tasmanian is R. 1974b species a meagre one (Testes ventral; penis without prostatic vesicle) . and in all there probability are many more species R. pedderensis Ball, 1974b to be discovered. Romankenkius bilineatus sp. nov. (figs. 1, 4, 5) MATERIALS AND METHODS Type material. — Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, For the available Hobart. present study only preserved material was Holotype: sagittal sections on one slide (K847). and in all essentials the methods employed were those Paratypes: sagittal sections on three slides (K848), sagittal described in studies of Australian freshwater sections slide transverse sections previous plana- on one (K849), of an rians refer to (Ball, 1977a). Locality references the Tas- immature specimen on one slide (K850), frontal sections of manian Lands Series. In the immature Department Tasmap keys an specimen on one slide (K865). 154 I. R. BALL & V. H. T. TRAN - TRICLADS FROM TASMANIA Figs. 1-3. External features of preserved specimens of three Tasmanian planarians: 1, Romankenkius bilineatus sp. nov.; dittae Scale lines 2, Spathula sp. nov.; 3, Spathula ochyra sp. nov. 1 mm. — Preserved The is The Description. specimens up to 5.5 X copulatory apparatus variable. penis 2.2 mm. In life the animal is fawn or light brown is always large, though only weakly muscular, and is rather shallow. The with two longitudinal dark brown stripes that pass the bulb usually papilla each side of the mid-line and unite be on posteriorly takes the form of a wide cylinder and may and anteriorly. In preserved specimens the ground suspended vertically in the atrium (K847, K849, is white. be colour The head is pointed, without fig. 4) or more normally disposed (K848, and and In the is tentacles, the body broad leaf-like with a fig. 5). former case there little space rounded end. There is of the and the and posterior one pair eyes between penis pharyngeal pocket close and the the set together distant from the anterior so the bursa lies displaced to right side of each and margin, and one pair of ciliated pits copulatory apparatus. The vasa deferentia enter the fossae. The anterior of the intestine bulb from to sensory ramus penis separately above, enlarging the vesicles the extends between eyes without forming pre- form false seminal at point of entry. ocellar diverticula. The pharynx is large, its root There is no true seminal vesicle, or expanded of the its bulbar and wide duct being at about 55% body length and tip cavity, the ejaculatory opens at 70-75%. centrally on the tip of the papilla. In two of the - 1979 155 BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, 49 (1) there dilations DP also specimens are glandular of the grid réf. 951564). Fulton (in litt.) re- proximal part of the ejaculatory duct (K848, ports this species from Great Lake and an out- K849). All the epithelia of the male apparatus wardly similar species has been recorded by wall atrium Leonard Timms from Lake and are nucleate. The posterior of the male & (1974) Sorrell be this is furnished with especially tall epithetial cells, Lake Crescent to the south-east. It may that is in Tasmania because have or cushion cells, as is the facing epithelium of the species widespread we The received from C. Patterson and H. B. N. penis papilla. testes are very numerous, being reports situated both dorsally and ventrally to the intestine Hynes of the occurrence of a distinctly striped and extending from behind the ovaries to the level triclad in other Tasmanian waters. According to of the copulatory apparatus, often in a rather Fulton this species is found at depths of 7-15 lateral show substrates position. They a tendency to fusion. meters on ranging from sand to clay The bursa copulatrix lies to the right of the and silt. it lie between copulatory apparatus (fig. 4) or may the penis and the pharynx (fig. 5) albeit still to the right of the mid-line. The bursal canal is an wide duct that into the side unusually opens right the atrium Its of near to the gonopore. nucleate epithelium is underlain by a thin layer of longi- tudinal muscle fibres and a thin layer of circular the has muscle fibres; ectal region an outer re- inforcing layer of thin longitudinal fibres. Near to its junction with the atrium the bursal canal throws small off a diverticulum, either posteriorly or obliquely to the left. This diverticulum, which receives the separate openings of the unbranched tall oviducts, has a nucleate epithelium, but the surrounding musculature is much reduced. The into and shell glands open this diverticulum also into the neighbouring region of the bursal canal proper. The situated paired ovaries are ventrally just the brain. there be behind Adpressed to these may a small clump of darkly staining vitelline cells on the antero-dorsal face of each. Otherwise the vitel- laria are sparsely distributed throughout the body length, principally in the ventral half of the body. — distin- Diagnosis. The new species is easily guished from the two other species of the genus its by distinctive striped colour pattern and by the extension of the testes to the level of the bursa. — 4-5. Romankenkius bilineatus sections Distribution. Romankenkius bilineatus has been Figs. sp. now, sagittal of the copulatory viewed from the left side. 4, which is apparatus confirmed only from the type locality bc = bursa Holotype (K847); 5, Paratype (K848). copu- Arthurs Lake in Tasmania. The were specimens latrix; bd = bursal canal; di = diverticulum of bursal canal; collected ed = = glands; = by W. Fulton, 4 April 1977 (East Lake, ejaculatory duct; eg eosinophil go gono- = male atrium; od = left oviduct; = pore; ma pe penis; South Arthurs Lake, grid ref. DP 964511) and = = shell vd = deferens. 4 ph pharynx; sg glands; vas Fig. 22 1977 Lake, North Arthurs Lake, May (East has been reversed from the original slide. 156 I. R. BALL & V. H. T. TRAN - TRICLADS FROM TASMANIA refers the be fixation artifacts. Our own Etymology. — The specific epithet to explained as is definitive distinctive striped colour pattern of this species. material insufficient, however, for a solution to this puzzle and further analysis must be DISCUSSION OF THE GENUS left to Australian zoologists with access to live ROMANKENKIUS material. for two The genus Romankenkius was erected Tasmanian R. kenki and R. dugesiids, pedderen- Genus Spathula Nurse, 1950 sis, characterized by the opening of the oviducts Key to the Tasmanian species of Spathula and the shell glands into a posterior diverticulum Anterior with of inter- 1. margin one pair sensory fossae; eyes of the bursal canal. This arrangement was dittae symmetrical; (ejaculatory duct normal) . S. sp. now manifestation of as one an evolutionary Anterior with of preted margin two pairs sensory fossae; eyes trend in the of the aquatic planarians to separation wide apart; (ejaculatory duct wide, irregular, and ever- sible) S.
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