Vasostoma brevispicula Huang & Wu 2011
Creators: name: Hong, Jung-Ho
name: Kim, Kichoon
name: Lee, Seunghan Lee and Kanghyun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Nematoda
Chromadorea
Araeolaimida
Comesomatidae
Vasostoma
Vasostoma brevispicula

description: Vasostoma brevispicula Huang & Wu, 2011   
 (Fig. 4, Table 4)   
 Locality. The specimens were collected from the subtidal southern part of the East Sea, Korea, along the coast of Gijang (35°16 ʹ 0.0 ʺ N, 129°16 ʹ 50.0 ʺ E). The collection site was at a depth of 16 m in clay sediment.   
 Material. Four males (MABIK NA00158040, MABIK NA00158081 - MABIK NA00158083) and two females (MABIK NA00158084 - MABIK NA00158085) were collected by Jung-Ho Hong on the coast of Gijang on 30 April 2023, aboard the Research Vessel Haeyanghwnangkyung 3.   
 Measurements. See Table 4 for detailed measurements and morphometric ratios.   
 Description. Males (Fig. 4, Table 4). Body cylindrical, slender, gradually tapering toward both extremities. Cuticle with transverse rows of dots, no lateral differentiation. Somatic setae (about 2 μm long) arranged randomly along the whole body. Tail conico-cylindrical. Three crowns of anterior sensilla: six inner labial papillae, six outer labial papillae and four short cephalic setae(3 μm long). Amphidial fovea (8-9 μm wide) large, 7-9 μm behind anterior end, situated behind cephalic setae, circular spiral form. Fovea spiral coiled ventrally, about 2.5 turns. Buccal cavity composed with small cup-shaped anterior portion (about 2 μm deep) and sclerotized cylindrical posterior portion (11-12 μm deep) with three teeth. Pharynx long (188-202 μm) and slender, cylindrical with long pyriform bulb (20-25 μm, cbd 30-33 μm). Nerve ring located at 86-94 μm (44.6-47.2%) of pharyngeal length from anterior end. Ventral gland pore situated at 115-125 μm of pharyngeal length from anterior end. Cardia round, small (12-14 μm), surrounded with intestinal tissue. Reproductive system diorchic, testes outstretched. Spicules paired, equal and arcuate with a central lamella, 51-55 μm long as arc (1.4-1.5 a.b.d). Gubernaculum with long straight dorsocaudally directed apophyses, 22-25 μm long. 9-12 minute mid-ventral supplementary papillae observed in precloacal region. Short precloacal setae (3 μm long) just anterior to cloaca. Tail consisted proximal conical and distal cylindrical part (45-58 μm). Tail 3.9-4.2 a.b.d long with three short terminal setae (about 3-5 μm long), three caudal glands, and prominent spinnerret. Other tail setae (about 4-5 μm) arranged in approximately four dorso- and ventrolateral longitudinal rows.   
 All measurements are in μm unless otherwise specified, with the exception of a, b, c, c ʹ, s. n/a indicates not applicable.   
 Literature sources: a Huang & Wu, 2011.   
Females (Fig. 4, Table 4). Similar to male. Vulva at 43.1-46.2% of body of length. Didelphic, outstretched ovaries.  
 Remarks. Vasostoma brevispicula Huang & Wu, 2011 is characterized by its thin and long body, a tubular buccal cavity with three small teeth, a long pyriform oesophageal bulb and curved spicules with a central lamella (Huang and Wu, 2011). The specimens from the East Sea, Korea, generally conform to the original description of Vasostoma brevispicula by Huang & Wu (2011), with slight differences in body width (41-48 μm vs. 37-56 μm) and body length (2009-2425 μm vs. 2119-2906 μm). We interpret this variation as intraspecific diversity.
description: Published as part of Hong, Jung-Ho, Kim, Kichoon & Lee, Seunghan Lee and Kanghyun, 2024, Four unrecorded species of free-living nematodes from the sublittoral zone in the East Sea, Korea, pp. 147-158 in Journal of Species Research 13 (2) on pages 155-157, DOI: 10.12651/JSR.2024.13.2.147, http://zenodo.org/record/13162324