Peripatidae Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Onychophora |
Family: | Peripatidae Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1832 |
Genera | |
See text | |
Global range of Onychophora extant Peripatidae fossils |
Peripatidae is a family of velvet worms. [1] This family includes more than 90 described species distributed among 13 genera, [2] but some authorities deem only 80 of these species to be valid. [3] The oldest putative representatives of the family herald from Burmese amber dated to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago, with representatives from Dominican and Baltic amber attesting to a broader distribution in the Palaeogene / Neogene; molecular variability suggests that the family's crown group may have arisen in the early Mesozoic. [4]
The Peripatidae exhibit a range of derivative features. They are longer, on average, than the Peripatopsidae and also have more leg pairs. The number of legs in the Peripatidae varies within species as well as among species [5] and ranges from 19 pairs (in Typhloperipatus williamsoni [6] ) to 43 pairs (in Plicatoperipatus jamaicensis [7] ). [8] [9] The gonopore is always between the penultimate leg pair. [8] There are no known oviparous species—the overwhelming majority, including all the Neotropical Peripatidae, are viviparous with females that develop a placenta to provide the growing embryo with nutrients. [10] The Asian genera Typhloperipatus and Eoperipatus , however, exhibit lecithotrophic ovoviviparity; that is, their females do not develop any placenta and instead retain yolky eggs in their uteri to supply nourishment. [10]
The Peripatidae, also known as equatorial velvet worms, [11] are restricted to the tropical and subtropical zones; in particular, they inhabit Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America, Gabon, Northeast India, and Southeast Asia. [12]
Neopatida is a monophyletic lineage within the Peripatidae, comprising all peripatids except the few found outside of the Americas. [13] The excluded peripatid genera are the southeast Asian † Cretoperipatus and Eoperipatus , the African Mesoperipatus , and the northeast Indian Typhloperipatus .
The family consists of the following genera:
Peripatus is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatidae family. The name "peripatus" is also used to refer to the Onychophora as a whole, although this group comprises many other genera besides Peripatus. The genus Peripatus is found in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Velvet worms in this genus may have as few as 24 or 25 pairs of legs or as many as 36 leg pairs. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.
Typhloperipatus is a genus of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae, containing the sole species Typhloperipatus williamsoni. This genus is notable for containing the only species in the phylum Onychophora found in South Asia. This species is also striking in that this velvet worm shows no external trace of eyes, although rudimentary optical vesicles are present internally.
Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families. This family includes more than 140 described species distributed among 41 genera, but some authorities deem only 131 of these species to be valid. The French zoologist Eugène Louis Bouvier proposed this family in 1905 with Peripatopsis as the type genus.
Epiperipatus is the most diverse genus of neotropical velvet worms in the family Peripatidae. Species in this genus are found in Central and South America. Velvet worms in this genus can have as few as 23 pairs of legs or as many as 39 leg pairs. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.
Heteroperipatus is a genus of Central American velvet worms in the Peripatidae family. The number of legs in this genus varies within species as well as among species and ranges from 26 pairs to 32 pairs. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.
Metaperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae that contains two species found in Chile, including Metaperipatus inae. This genus was created by the American zoologist Austin Hobart Clark in 1913 to contain the type species, M. blainvillei. Authorities believe M. blainvillei is a species complex, however, and some consider M. blainvillei a nomen dubium.
Paraperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. The number of legs vary within species as well as among species in this genus and can range from as few as 21 pairs up to 27 pairs in males and 29 pairs in females. The maximum number of leg pairs recorded in this genus (29) is also the maximum number of leg pairs found in the family Peripatopsidae. This genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. Species in this genus are found in New Guinea and Maluku, Indonesia.
Epiperipatus imthurni is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species ranges from light orange or yellowish brown to a dark brown on its dorsal surface; the ventral surface is a lighter orangeish shade of the same color. The type locality is in Guyana. No males have been recorded from this species. Females can reach a large size, up to 2.25 g in weight, and range from 25 mm up to 96 mm in length. They have 29 to 32 pairs of legs, usually 30 or 31. Females from Trinidad were shown to reproduce via parthenogenesis; the only velvet worm known to do so.
Epiperipatus acacioi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark purple with a bilaterally symmetric pattern on its dorsal surface and ranges from 13 mm to 47 mm in length. Males of this species have 24 to 27 pairs of legs, usually 25 or 26; females have 26 to 30, usually 27 or 28. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Epiperipatus biolleyi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is red, without any pattern, on its dorsal surface. Females of this species have 28 to 32 pairs of legs; males have 25 to 30. Females range from 18 mm to 75 mm in length, with a mean length of 52 mm, whereas males range from 18 mm to 55 mm, with a mean length of 38 mm. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Epiperipatus brasiliensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 29 pairs of legs; females have 31 or 33. This species ranges from 37 mm to 80 mm in length. The type locality is in Pará, Brazil. Epiperipatus vagans from Barro Colorado Island (Panama) was originally described as subspecies of Epiperipatus brasiliensis, but is now treated as a full species.
Epiperipatus simoni is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark brown without any pattern on its dorsal surface. Females of this species range from 40 mm to 68 mm in length and have 28 to 32 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Venezuela.
Epiperipatus torrealbai is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species is dark reddish brown without any pattern on its dorsal surface. The female of this species has 31 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Venezuela.
Epiperipatus trinidadensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 27 to 30 pairs of legs, usually 28; females have 28 to 31, usually 30. The type locality is in Trinidad.
Epiperipatus vespucci is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark with a complex pattern on its dorsal surface. The male of this species has 30 pairs of legs; females have 33 or 34. The type locality is in Colombia.
Epiperipatus edwardsii is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. Females of this species have 29 to 34 pairs of legs; males have 28 to 30. Females range from 23 mm to 56 mm in length, whereas males range from 25 mm to 30 mm. The type locality is in French Guiana.
Epiperipatus hilkae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark brown with a series of reddish brown hexagons down its back. Males of this species have 25 to 27 pairs of legs; females have 28 to 29. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Peripatus ruber is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species has 30 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Costa Rica.
Mongeperipatus solorzanoi, also known as Solórzano's velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species is the largest known velvet worm, reaching 22 cm in length. This velvet worm is found in the Caribbean coastal forest of Costa Rica.
Peripatopsis sedgwicki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Also known as the Tsitsikamma velvet worm, this species has a narrow geographic distribution in South Africa but is especially abundant in the indigenous forest of the Tsitsikamma mountains. Recent phylogenetic analysis suggests that Peripatopsis sedgwicki is a species complex that contains three clades, each with a distinct geographic distribution, including at least one clade that may represent a novel species.
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