Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

12-2005

Journal

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

Volume

39

Issue

6

First Page

1331

Last Page

1337

Abstract

The New Zealand fish leech genus Bdellamaris was revised and a redescription of the type species, Bdellamaris eptatreti, was made using material from Eptatretus cirrhatus, the type host for B. eptatreti. Since the holotype has been lost and paratypes exist only in the form. of frontal sections of approximately one third of a leech, a neotype was designated. Individuals in Bdellamaris lack eyes, ocelli, and conducting tissue and possess 11 pairs of pulsatile vesicles, 6 pairs of testisacs, accessory gland cells on the terminal portion of the male reproductive system, and a seminal receptacle. Bdellamaris eptatreti is characterised by a uniformly unpigmented body and suckers yielding a white overall appearance. Makarabdella manteri is transferred to the genus Bdellamaris after study of the type specimen and new material collected from the Chatham Rise, New Zealand. This species is characterised by its small size and by orange transverse pigment bands.

DOI

10.1080/00288330.2005.9517397

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