Anaperus ornatus n. sp : a new interstitial acoelan turbellaria from marine sediments in the Red Sea

Abstract EN

The new species Anaperus ornatus n.

sp., was collected from the muddy and sandy bottom of a lagoon in front of the Hurghada station at the Red Sea in Egypt in July-August 1998.

It is considered to be a new interstitial Acoelan Turbellaria from the Marine Sediments.

The worm is dark brown due to the presence of zooxanthellae with scattered areas of different glittering colours.

Each area is divided into 3 quite distinct pigmented parts.

One of them has a golden coloration, the second is blue and the third one has a green coloration.

It has a length of about 1/2 mm the Frontal Organ, the excitant organs and the antrum musculinum are totally missing.

A sperm ball is connected anteriorly with a cuticularized mouth piece extending vertically downwards towards the Ventral surface.

The animal possesses only one male genital aperture, a little distance before the posterior end leading directly to the muscular penis opening into the Vesicula granulorum which is connected with two false Vesicula Seminalis.

The two testes are placed laterally, to a medio-dorsal Ovary.