Cratera picuia explained

Cratera picuia is a species of land planarian belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae.[1] It is known from specimens found in Saint-Hilaire/Lange National Park in Brazil.

Description

Cratera picuia is a flatworm around 30 mm in length and 3 mm in width. The body is elongated, with parallel margins and a pointed back tip. The dorsal side of the body has two pearl-orange paramedian bands separated by an ivory midline band and two oyster-white marginal bands. Each marginal band is divided in half by black-gray spots that become denser towards the back of the body, forming irregular longitudinal stripes. The ventral side of the body is a white color.[2]

Aside from its coloration, it is distinguished from other members of Cratera by having a canalicular prostatic vesicle located inside the penis bulb, and an ejaculatory duct that is not distally dilated.

Etymology

The specific epithet, picuia, is derived from the Tupi language words, "inside", and, "gourd", in reference to the species' prostatic vesicle being located inside the penis bulb.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Cratera picuia Lago-Barcia & Carbayo, 2018 . 2023-07-21 . www.marinespecies.org.
  2. Lago-Barcia, D.; Carbayo, F. (2018). Taxonomic revision of four species of the Neotropical land planarian genera Cratera and Geoplana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) with a description of two new species and an emendation of Cratera. Zootaxa. 4500(4): 517-542.