Franciscideres gen. nov. – a new, highly aberrant kinorhynch genus from Brazil, with an analysis of its phylogenetic position

Abstract

A new genus and species of Kinorhyncha, Franciscideres kalenesos gen. et sp. nov., is described from tidal and subtidal sandy habitats in Brazil. The new genus and species is characterized by an extremely flexible trunk without pachycycli that appears perfectly circular in cross-section, segments 1, 2 and 11 consisting of closed rings and 3 to 10 of single, bent plates with midventral articulations, a neck without placids that resembles an additional segment, densely packed scale-like, cuticular hairs, and a terminal segment with a middorsal spine and two sets of lateral terminal spines, but no midterminal spine. Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA of Franciscideres kalenesos gen. et sp. nov. and 47 other kinorhynch ingroup taxa suggest that the new genus is a basal homalorhagid, whereas comparison of morphological characters indicates affinities between the new genus and the peculiar cyclorhagid Cateria.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:64E29D97-DE1D-4511-8683-C969DD2EED43

Key words:

• Kinorhyncha
• Meiofauna
• molecular phylogeny
• 18S rRNA
• phylogeny
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

This study was based upon the research integrated in the Doctorate course (Evolutionary and Environmental Biology) submitted by the first author to the Department of Animal Biology (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia). The first studied samples were collected by Professor M.A. Todaro during a meiofauna survey along the coast of São Paulo. The study was supported by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) within the BIOTA/FAPESP – The Biodiversity Virtual Institute Program, Carlos Rocha P. I. We would like to thank Professor M.A. Todaro not only for providing the first samples, but also for furnishing the equipment and material necessary for the first part of the study, together with the facilities of MeMo Lab (Meiofauna Molecular Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) required for molecular analyses. We are also grateful to the staff of CIGS (Centro Interdipartimentale Grandi Strumenti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) for the help provided in the use of the scanning electron microscope.

We are indebted to the Center of Marine Biology of University of São Paulo (CEBIMar-USP), for providing sampling and research facilities, and for hosting the workshop, Taxonomy & Diversity of Marine Meiofauna, that facilitated collecting of additional specimens for this study. The workshop was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP – Proc. Nº 2011/21289-3). São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP – Process 2012/08581-0) provides postdoctoral fellowships and grants for M. Di Domenico, and Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research of the American Museum of Natural History supported sampling carried out by A.R.S. Garraffoni and M. Di Domenico.

Associate Editor: Christoph Bleidorn