Species ID
OC-SP-0002660
Discovered
Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Species ID
OC-SP-0002660
Provisional Species Name
Utelga sp_IRLBB_01813
Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS
Utelga
Lowest Known Rank
Genus
Status
Discovered
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Embargo
No
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Order
Rhabdocoela
Family
Koinocystididae
Genus
Utelga
Taxonomic Remarks
Ten species are recognised to belong to the genus Utelga. They are mainly differentiable by the morphology of the sclerotised structures of the male atrium. Two of those species are characterized by the presence of three distal hooks in the male copulatory bulb: U. heinckei and U. pseudohenckei. However, several studies indicate that the previous two species represent complexes of cryptic species. Utelga sp.1 is more related to U. pseudohenckei because of the three hooks of same size. However, the hooks of Utelga sp.1 are much conical, straight and larger (25 µm) than those of U. pseudohenckei, which are more flattened, curved and smaller (5–8 µm).
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
01/04/2026
Description of Material
Species of Utelga with three distal hooks of same size in the male copulatory bulb. The hooks are 23–27 µm in length (x¯ = 25 µm; n = 2), they are conical, straight and end in a sharp, pointing sideways tip.
Ecology
Medium-coarse and well-sorted sand, intertidal, salinity 35 ‰. Fine-grained, silty sand, 0.3 m deep, subtidal, salinity 35 ‰.
Distribution
United States of America, Florida, Wabasso, Wabasso Island, 27.756471; -80.422658. United States of America, Florida, Fort Pierce, South Caseway Beach, 27.462379; -80.309834.
Scientific Name Authorship
Diez, Yander L.
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