Two new nematode species (Plectida: Leptolaimidae, Rhadinematidae) from Chatham Rise, New Zealand

Abstract

Two new species of the order Plectida are described from Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Leptolaimus dififtinus sp. nov. is characterised by the short body 319–420 microns long, truncate labial region slightly offset from body contour and bearing conspicuous outer labial papillae, cephalic setae 1.3–1.4 microns long, amphid located 4–9 microns from anterior end, lateral alae originating from middle of buccal cavity length, female without supplements, male with precloacal and postcloacal pairs of subventral setae, nine tubular supplements (alveolar supplements absent), tubular supplements weakly S-shaped with pointed tip, spicules arcuate 24 microns or 1.4 cloacal body diameters long and dorsal gubernacular apophyses. Lavareda iramscotti sp. nov. is characterised by adult body length 3,023–3,121 microns long, eight longitudinal rows of body pores each with short papilla, cephalic setae 4–5 microns long, tail 146–165 microns long, male with spicules 54 microns long, gubernaculum with triangular apophyses, 20 precloacal supplements with bifid distal tips arranged in 9 + 1 + 10 pattern, female with vulva at 55% of body length from anterior and cuticularisation perpendicular to vagina at level of vulva. The present study provides the first record of a Leptolaimus species from the New Zealand region and the first description of a female specimen of the genus Lavareda.

Keywords

• Continental slope
• Chatham Rise
• Free-living nematodes
• Taxonomy