Dorymenia vagans
Creators: name: Cobo, M. Carmen
name: Farris, William J.
name: Kocot, Kevin M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Solenogastres
Cavibelonia
Proneomeniidae
Dorymenia
Dorymenia vagans

description: Dorymenia vagans (Kowalevsky & Marion, 1887)
Proneomenia vagans Kowalevsky & Marion, 1887: 29.
Dorymenia vagans – Nierstrasz & Strork 1940: 15.
MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Corsica (France) [6 specimens] • 2 specimens (used for sclerite preparations, DNA extractions and histology); CORSICABENTHOS 3 (Table 2); 50 m depth; MNHN-IM-2019-18271; GenBank: OR456218; OR458915 (1 microscope slide with sclerites, 23 slides with 5 µm serial sections); MNHN-IM-2019-18272; GenBank: OR458906 (1 microscope slide with sclerites, 9 slides with 5 µm serial sections) • 4 specimens (preserved in 95% ethanol); CORSICABENTHOS 3 (Table 2); 50 m depth; MNHN-IM-2019-18274, MNHN-IM-2019-18275, MNHN-IM-2019-18276, MNHN-IM-2019-18278.
DESCRIPTION
Robust animal (5-6 × 1.5-2 mm) (Fig. 3D), with a slightly pointed posterior end, but without a clear digitiform projection. Brownish to yellow. With a thick cover of hollow acicular sclerites (120-260 × 18-20 µm) (Fig. 7H). With longer and slightly distally flattened sclerites (125-200 × 20- 22 µm) and knife-like scales next to the pedal groove (84 × 40 µm) (Fig. 7H). Polyserial radula with 14 teeth per row, the two central teeth being wider than the laterals. With a pair of large copulatory stylets (Fig. 14B) and two bundles of abdominal spicules. Opening of the mantle cavity narrow and elongate. With one dorso-terminal sensory organ (Fig. 14B), not visible externally.
REMARKS
Based on their external aspect and the proximity of the collection locality to the type locality of Dorymenia vagans (Kowalevsky & Marion 1887), these six specimens were tentatively identified as belonging to this species. Nevertheless, there are two species of “ Proneomeniidae ” Simroth, 1911 (nonmonophyletic according to Kocot et al. 2019 and Cobo et al. 2023) known from the Mediterranean Sea: Dorymenia vagans and Proneomenia desiderata Kowalevsky & Marion, 1887. These species have a similar distribution and almost identical external aspect. DNA barcoding was useful in this case to confirm the classification of the Corsica specimen in the genus Dorymenia. Moreover, the existence of copulatory stylets and the general configuration of the internal anatomy corresponds with what was described for D. vagans (Kowalevsky & Marion 1887; Nierstrasz & Stork 1940; García-Álvarez et al. 2009), confirming the initial identification based on the habitus.
The four specimens collected in Corsica (50-56 m) extend the distribution of D. vagans in the Mediterranean Sea. This species was first described from Marseille (France) from a depth of 20 m and a neotype was established from the Gulf of Naples (Italy) from a depth of 20-60 m (Nierstrasz & Stork 1940). As was the case for the Corsica specimens, the species was collected before from sandy bottoms with Posidonia (Nierstrasz & Stork 1940; García-Álvarez et al. 2009).
SOLENOGASTRES DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION
OFF CORSICA
This work includes the first records of solenogasters species in Corsica (Mediterranean Sea), extending the geographical and depth range of nine Mediterranean species and constitutes the first record of Simrothiella margaritacea in this area. With this and the proposed synonymy between Eleutheromenia sierra and E. carinata, the number of known Mediterranean species remains at 31.
Based on the study of the available collection (47 specimens) we identified ten different species occurring off Corsica. The samples came from three expeditions around Corsica sampling the North, South and West coast of the island (Fig. 1). Solenogasters were collected in 11 sampled stations during CORSICABENTHOS 1 (23 specimens belonging to four species), six stations during CORSICABENTHOS 2 (six specimens, four species) and five stations during CORSICABENTHOS 3 (18 specimens, six species) (Table 2). The number of specimens collected at each station was homogeneous, with only one specimen recovered at most stations, regardless of the sampling method. Although there are exceptions (Table 2) and stations CP07, with eight specimens collected, CS 24 with seven and station CS 83, with six specimens, stand out (Table 2). Dondersia festiva is the most abundant species off Corsica according to our data, with 19 specimens collected in two of the expeditions, followed by Pruvotina impexa with seven, Dorymenia vagans with six specimens and Unciherpia hirsuta with four (Fig. 1; Table 3). On the contrary, for four of the species only one specimen was collected (Tegulaherpia cf. myodoryata, Pruvotia cf. sopita, Eleutheromenia sierra and Anamenia gorgonophila).
description: Published as part of Cobo, M. Carmen, Farris, William J. & Kocot, Kevin M., 2024, New data on the biodiversity of Solenogastres (Mollusca, Aplacophora) in the Mediterranean Sea: findings from the program " Our Planet Reviewed " Corsica 2019 - 2022, pp. 543-576 in Zoosystema 46 (21) on pages 571-572, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a21, http://zenodo.org/record/13744725