Cratera boja

Last updated

Cratera boja
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Genus: Cratera
Species:
C. boja
Binomial name
Cratera boja
Araujo, Carbayo, Riutort & Álvarez-Presas, 2020

Cratera boja is a species of land planarian belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae. [1] It is known from specimens found in Serra da Bocaina National Park in Brazil. [2]

Contents

Description

Cratera boja is a flatworm around 34 mm in length and 4–4.5 mm in width. The body is elongate, with parallel margins, a rounded front tip, and a pointed back tip. The dorsal side of the body is an olive gray base color, spotted with black patches. The patches concentrate in a median band that may be divided by a thin midline. The ventral side of the body is olive gray, turning gray at the front end. [2]

Aside from its coloration and length, it is distinguished from other members of Cratera by having marginal eyes, a bell-shaped pharynx, the distal portion of the ejaculatory duct being widened to occupy around half of the penis papilla, a narrowing that separates the male and female atria, a postero-dorsally oriented penis papilla that is shorter than the male atrium, a prostatic vesicle with an inverted-U shape in a lateral view, several cyanophil cell necks that pierce the male atrium roof, a female atrium that is half the length of the male, and the lack of a common glandular ovovitelline duct. [2]

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Tupi language word boja, "intermediate, middle", in reference to the intermediate size of the ejaculatory duct's distal dilation. [2]

References

  1. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Cratera boja Araujo, Carbayo, Riutort & Álvarez-Presas, 2020". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Araujo, A. P. G.; Carbayo, F.; Riutort, M.; Álvarez-Presas, M. (2020). Five new pseudocryptic land planarian species of Cratera (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) unveiled through integrative taxonomy. PeerJ. 8: e9726. doi : 10.7717/peerj.9726