Pheronous jairajpurii, Datta & Rizvi, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5636.2.7 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:802128AD-A446-4D99-BA71-80DD7A9AA585 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15464758 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A68794-593D-7844-C480-67BCFD8DF8EB |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Pheronous jairajpurii |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Pheronous jairajpurii sp. nov.
( Figures 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 , Table 1 View TABLE 1 )
Type material. Seven males and five females were collected in May, 2024 from Tamil Nadu, measured and studied. Holotype: 1 male on slide number ZSI-HQ/WN.4893/1 (Zoological Survey of India-Headquarters, Kolkata, Worm Nematode), GoogleMaps Paratypes: 1 male and 2 females on slide number ZSI-HQ/WN.4893/2 ; GoogleMaps 1 male and 2 females on slide number ZSI-HQ/WN.4893/3 ; GoogleMaps 4 males and 1 female on slide number ZSI-HQ/WN.4893/4 . GoogleMaps
Type locality and habitat. Intertidal sandy sediment at Kasimedu GoogleMaps fishing harbour, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, lying on the east coast of India, Bay of Bengal (13°8.072’ N Latitude and 80°17.900’E Longitude). Characteristics of surface sediment: Temperature (°C)—32.5, Salinity (ppt)—32; pH—7.72.
Etymology. The species epithet “ jairajpurii ” is named in honour of the renowned Nematologist, Prof. M.S. Jairajpuri for his outstanding contributions in the field of Nematology.
Measurements ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ).
Descriptions
Males. Medium- sized nematodes (1043–1355 μm) with tapering body at the posterior end. Smooth and thick cuticle without any papillae or setae. Head set off from body by a deep cephalic groove. Papilliform head sensilla arranged in two circles 6+ (6 +4); six inner labial sensilla small in the first circle; six outer labial sensilla and four cephalic sensilla arranged in the second circle, stout and blunt. Pocket-shaped amphideal fovea, 9–12 μm in diameter, situated beneath the posterior edges of the cephalic groove. Buccal cavity divided into two parts: a cupshaped anterior part and a posterior tubular part, strong and cuticularized ( Figures 1C View FIGURE 1 and 2A View FIGURE 2 ), 31–40 μm in length. Minute denticles arranged in the inner wall of the cup shaped anterior section. Four teeth present; two smaller dorsal and two larger subventral solid curved teeth located at the junction of the cup shaped anterior part and the tubular section of the buccal cavity ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Pharynx muscular without bulbs, enlarging in the posterior part and cardia bluntly conical ( Figure 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Ventral gland located posterior to pharynx. Caudal glands absent. Tail tapering to a sharp point ( Figure 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Four pairs of small precloacal papillae ( Figures 1F View FIGURE 1 and 2H View FIGURE 2 ) almost equidistant. Four pairs of small ventro-lateral postcloacal papillae present ( Figures 1D View FIGURE 1 and 2E View FIGURE 2 ), first pair located close to cloacal opening; fourth pair located at the tail tip. Males diorchic with two opposed testes to the right of intestine. Paired stout spicules ( Figures 1B View FIGURE 1 and 2G View FIGURE 2 ) with central septum in the proximal end. Gubernaculum with claw-like structure in the distal end ( Figure 2F View FIGURE 2 ).
Females. General characteristics similar to males, body length varying from 903–1147 μm. Females with buccal cavity varying from (36–45 μm vs. 31–40 μm). Didelphic ovaries, opposed and reflexed, at right side of intestine. Vulva ( Figure 2D View FIGURE 2 ) at a distance of 51–72% of body length and with posterior end tapering ( Figure 1E View FIGURE 1 ).
Diagnosis and discussion
The genus Pheronous differs from the other genera in the family Ironidae by the papilliform head sensilla; tail pointed; caudal glands absent ( Inglis 1966, Platt & Warwick 1983, Chen & Guo 2015). However, an emended generic diagnosis is suggested in the present paper based on the type of cuticle, shape of spicules and gubernaculum, number and position of pre and postcloacal papillae, along with the previous diagnostic characters.
Pheronous jairajpurii sp. nov. is characterized by smooth cuticle without papillae; caudal glands absent; males with paired stout spicules with central septum at proximal end; gubernaculum enfolding the spicules with claw-like structures at the distal end; four pairs of precloacal papillae; four pairs of ventro-lateral postcloacal papillae, the last pair near to the tail tip and tail tapering to a sharp point.
Pheronous jairajpurii sp. nov. differs from P. ogdeni by the smaller body size (1043–1355 μm vs. 1490–1980 μm in males; 903–1147 μm vs. 1430–1770 μm in females); smaller head diameter (12–18 μm vs 23–31 μm in males; 16–18 μm vs. 19–25 μm in females); smaller pharynx (195–226 μm vs. 281–330 μm in males; 203–243 μm vs. 251–291 μm in females); shape of spicules (spicules with central septum vs. no septum with a clumsy appearance), number of postcloacal papillae (4 pairs vs. 3 pairs), papillae not present near the tail tip in the latter, however clearly visible in P. jairajpurii sp. nov. The new species is similar to P. ogdeni in having four pairs of papillae anterior to the cloacal opening.
P. donghaiensis Chen & Guo, 2015 View in CoL was described based on specimens from two localities; station XMHC and station ZZDS. Considering the morphometric measurements, the new species is closer to the ZZDS specimens than the XMHC specimens. The new species differs from P. donghaiensis View in CoL by the following characteristics: relatively smaller—body length (1043–1355 μm vs. 1293–2188 μm in males; 903–1147 μm vs. 1322–1932 μm in females), head diameter (12–18 μm vs. 21–27 μm in males; 16–19 μm vs. 22–28 μm in females), buccal cavity length (31–40 μm vs. 38–63 μm in males; 36–45 μm vs. 43–61 μm in females); smooth cuticle without papillae vs. smooth, thick cuticle, with several small scattered conical papillae; four pairs of precloacal papillae almost equidistant to each other anterior to the cloacal opening vs. two rows of asymmetrical small conical papillae in the subventral sector, each row with 8–9 papillae; four pairs of papillae present with the fourth papillae near the tail tip in the postcloacal region vs. three pairs of symmetrical or asymmetrical small conical papillae in two rows distributed in the subventral sector. The new species also has relatively smaller spicules (26–31 μm vs. 33–46 μm in males) and tail length (50–63 μm vs. 57–96 μm in males; 57–67 μm vs. 76–117 μm in females).
Therefore, P. jairajpurii sp. nov. differs from both previously described species P. ogdeni View in CoL and P. donghaiensis View in CoL , differing from P. ogdeni View in CoL by the type of spicules, gubernaculum, number and position of post cloacal papillae and differing from P. donghaiensis View in CoL by cuticle type, number and arrangement of pre and postcloacal papillae. Thus, a total of three species belongs now to the genus Pheronous View in CoL , the identification key to which is provided below. A comparative chart of the three species has been provided in Table 2 View TABLE 2 and a map showing the distribution of all species in the world is given in Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 .
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