On a new species of Praegeria occurring in the Sandy beach, Madras

Abstract

From the foregoing pages it is clear that the present form shows a number of interesting features in which it markedly differs from the other species of the genus. These characters seem to me of sufficient value for the creation of a new species for its reception and for which I propose the name Praegeria gopalai. The important characters of this species can now be summarised as follows: Minute slender worm, 4 to 10 mm. long, with 25 to 50 setigerous segments; ventral cirrus of the buccal parapodium globular; ventral cirrus of the first setigerous foot slightly elongated; anal segment with two conspicuous groups of caudal glands; only a single pair of sperm-sacs, genital funnels and copulatory organs in the male; secondarily median testis enclosed in a membrane and often extending into two segments; tapering entire copulatory organ provided with a large spinous papilla sperm-sacs having double saccular expansions; in the female, one or two ovarian groups covered over by a membrane and each group extending into 6 to 15 consecutive segments; receptacula seminis and genital funnels corresponding to the number of ovarian groups; parapodia of the segment carrying the receptacula seminis completely atrophied and carrying only two acicula; sperms from the receptacula seminis nail shaped having developed a conspicuous terminal hood. Locality: -Sandy Beach, Madras. Holotype: -In the Indian Museum, Calcutta.