Thiago Quintão Araujo, Sarah Atherton, Rick Hochberg
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 128 (3), 190-199, (1 October 2015) https://doi.org/10.2988/0006-324X-128.3.176
KEYWORDS: meiofauna, Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida, Caribbean, confocal, new species, Oregodasys ashleigha
A new species of Oregodasys (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida: Thaumastodermatidae) is described from sublittoral sediments on the island of Tobago. Oregodasys ashleigha sp. nov. is 430–465 μm long and characterized by the presence of a pair of large and elliptical red ocelli, numerous cirri (21–23) restricted to the posterior end, and an inflated, bilobed caudum. Adhesive tubes are present in four series as TbA (10/side), TbL (10/side), TbVL (up to 45/side), and TbP (up to 51 total). The structure of the reproductive system is characteristic of the genus and defined by posterior ovaries, a single right testis, a bipartite caudal organ complex, and a frontal organ. The bipartite caudal organ complex is distinctly muscular, with the right-side caudal organ wrapped in spiral muscles and the left-center side caudal organ wrapped in circular muscles.