A rare polyclad genus Bulaceros (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Pseudocerotidae): new species and new record from Indian coral atolls

ABSTRACT

The genus Bulaceros (Polycladida: Pseudocerotidae) erected by Newman & Cannon (1996) is a rare genus found only in the Pacific Ocean and is known by only one species, Bulaceros porcellanus Newman & Cannon, 1996 so far. The present work, based on collection from the Lakshadweep Islands, which are the only coral atolls in India, describes a second species Bulaceros newcannorum sp. nov. under this genus and also reports the occurrence of Bulaceros porcellanus for the first time from the Indian Ocean. Bulaceros newcannorum sp. nov. is described based on external and internal morphology supported with histological studies and photographs of external and internal details. Bulaceros newcannorum sp. nov. is characterized by knobbed pseudotentacles with white tips, translucent background with brown gut diverticula, darker medially, irregular white spots on the dorsum, margin of white spots and submarginal band in a mixture of brown and black. This is the first report of the genus Bulaceros from the entire Indian Ocean region.

Publication LSID: lsid:http://zoobank.org:pub:C8FA7FDA-A7AF-4AD9-8AE2-23ADD9FDEB31

KEYWORDS:

• Rhabditophora
• marine flatworm
• taxonomy
• novel species
• Lakshadweep
• Agatti Island
• Indian Ocean

Acknowledgements

The authors would like thank the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India for providing the opportunity and facilities to visit the Lakshadweep Islands for field collection. We would also like to thank the Director, CMLRE for his support during the study. The first author would like to thank Dr Mal Bryant, Collection Manager Marine Biodiversity (Parasitology), Biodiversity & Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, Australia, for providing photographs and information regarding specimens lodged in Queensland Museum. The first author would also like to thank Dr Sreeraj CR, Zoological Survey of India for collection of paratype specimen and his support during field survey in Kavaratti Island. We would also like to thank Medhelix Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd for providing excellent histological sections. This work would not have been completed without support of local staff in the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) field station at Agatti Island. The first author would also like to thank colleagues from CMLRE for their help and comments during manuscript preparation. The two referees are also acknowledged for their critical comments which helped in improving the manuscript. This is CMLRE contribution number 131.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).