Abstract
Two new species of free-living marine nematode, Pseudosteineria sinica sp. nov. and Pseudosteineria zhangi sp. nov., from the Yellow Sea, China are described. Pseudosteineria sinica sp. nov. is characterized by body spindle-shaped, cuticle distinctly annulated; amphidial fovea not visible; spicules unequal in length, the longer one divided into two sections jointed in the middle, the shorter one simple, without indentation; both spicules curved with proximal capitulum, tapered distally; gubernaculum with a dorso-caudal apophysis. Pseudosteineria zhangi sp. nov. is characterized by eight groups of relatively short subcephalic setae; amphidial fovea circular, lying at level of grouped subcephalic setae; spicules paired, equal in length, dissimilar in shape; right spicule slender, left one with a large manubrium proximally; gubernaculum bucket-shaped, with a dorsal apophysis. A key to species is provided for the 13 valid species of the genus.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30770250), the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-417) to K. Xu, and the Open Research Cruise offshore China by R/V KE XUE SAN HAO, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) in July 2008. The authors are very grateful to Ms Xiuqin Wu and Ms Zhongying Shan for their help for sampling and slide making.