Syngenodrilus lamuensis Smith & Green 1919
Creators: name: Jamieson, Barrie G. M.
name: Fragoso, Carlos
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Clitellata
Alluroidida
Syngenodrilidae
Syngenodrilus
Syngenodrilus lamuensis

description: Syngenodrilus lamuensis Smith & Green 1919
Syngenodrilus lamuensis Smith & Green 1919: 145, Fig. 1–8.
Syngenodrilus lamuensis Smith & Green. Gates 1945: 393; Pickford 1945: 397; Jamieson 1968: 85; 1971: 719.
Length 52 mm, width 4 mm, segments137. Clitellum annular 2/3 XI–XVI. A copulatory band extends from 11/12 to setal arc XIV and filling bc. Setae very small; aa: ab: bc: cd: dd =17: 1:17 0.9:92; dd =0.6 U, bc =1.0 aa; present in the clitellar region. Nephropores commencing at the anterior margin of IV; some midway between cd and the mid–dorsal line others in cd. Male pores at the anterior margin of XIII at about 3/5 bc. Prostate pores intrasegmental in XI, XII and XIII, slightly dorsal of setal line b, presumably paired. Female pores slightly anteriad and dorsal to setae b of XIV. Spermathecal pores two pairs immediately in front of intersegmental furrows 7/8 and 8/9, slightly ventral of setal lines c.
Septa 5/6–7/8 very strong. 8/9–12/13 very thin and imperfect. Strong gizzards in VIII and IX. Intestine commencing in XII or XIII, but oesophagus widened between it and the gizzard. No calciferous glands, intestine lacking typhlosole. Hearts in VI –XI (XII?), possibly absent from X. Nephridia paired; absent from I–III, XI and XII; with pyriform terminal dilatation. Testes and funnels paired in X and XI and enclosed in (unpaired?) testis–sacs containing hearts and nephridia. Seminal vesicles of the microdrile type, a pair extending backwards in the ovisacs to XX. Vasa deferentia lacking terminal atria. Three pairs of short tubular prostates, in XI, XII and XIII, opening separately from the male pores by very short ducts which are confined to the body wall. Penial and genital setae absent. Ovaries extensive in XIII; funnels broad and short on the anterior face of septum 13/14. Ovisacs extending posterior of XXII. Eggs yolky. Spermathecae two pairs, in VIII and IX, each with an irregular, simple tubular ampulla, ca 0.35 mm wide and somewhat longer than the duct which is 0.07–0.1 mm wide: lacking diverticula.
Remarks. Gates (1945) and Pickford (1945) rightly argued for exclusion of Syngenodrilus from the Moniligastridae, They recognized its affinity with the Alluroididae, Gates tentatively suggested inclusion in this family but Pickford advocated retaining a separate family Syngenodrilidae. Both authors noted that it differs from the Alluroidinae in possession of a well–developed, double oesophageal gizzard, in having simple Sparganophilus - like prostate glands which are not related to the male opening and in the absence of a moniligastrid–like atrium at the ectal end of the vas deferens.
Distribution. Kenya: Lamu (Habitat unknown).
description: Published as part of Jamieson, Barrie G. M. & Fragoso, Carlos, 2024, A monograph of the Oligochaete family Alluroididae, pp. 401-435 in Zootaxa 5529 (3) on pages 432-433, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5529.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14022623