Gordius nixus sp. nov.: first report of a horsehair worm (Gordiida, Nematomorpha) from snow in Pakistan

Capillaria colubra sp. n. is described from the oviducts of the southern black racer, Coluber constrictor priapus, from southern Louisiana. It is distinguished from the closely related Capillaria heterodontis by its larger size, transverse striations on the spicule and spicule sheath, and a more elaborate caudal bursalike expansion and two ventral papillae in the male. It is smaller and has a lower ratio of anterior to posterior body regions than Capillaria longispicula. It differs from other snake capillarids in its greater size, higher ratio of anterior to posterior body regions, larger eggs, and more elaborate male caudal bursalike expansion. This is the first capillarid reported from the oviducts of a vertebrate host. Several species of Capillaria have been reported from snakes in South and Middle America (Teixiera de Freitas and Lent, 1935; Aravjo and Gandra, 1943; Caballero and Cerecero, 1944; Yamaguti, 1961). However, Capillaria heterodontis Harwood, 1932, is apparently the only species described from a snake endemic to the United States. Between 1967 and 1969 17 specimens of Capillaria were removed from the oviducts of three southern black racers collected near New Orleans, Louisiana. These specimens represent a new species. Capillarids were removed from the oviducts, fixed in glacial acetic acid, stored in a mixture of alcohol, formalin, and glycerin, and studied in glycerin mounts after evaporation of the alcohol at room temperature. Drawings were made with the aid of a camera lucida. In the following description measurements are in millimeters unless otherwise noted. Capillaria colubra sp. n. (Figs. 1-6) Definition: Trichuridae Railliet, 1915; Capillariinae Railliet, 1915; Capillaria Zeder, 1800. Body diameter increasing from anterior to about the posterior three-fourths. Body very slender, threadlike. Cuticle smooth. Two lateral bacillary bands. Mouth small, porelike. Esophagus consisting of a single chain of stichocytes, some cells darker than others and containing granules, alternating with lighter cells devoid of granules. Anterior region shorter than posterior region of body in male and female. Female slightly longer than male. Received for publication 10 October 1969. * Supported in part by a Predoctoral Fellowship, 5-F01-GM-38,070, awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH, Public Health Service. Male (9 specimens): 19.56 to 26.40 (21.83) long, 68 to 78 /L (72) maximum width. Anterior region of body 5.54 to 6.90 (5.96) long, with muscular pharynx 304 to 552 /L (425) long, followed by 40 to 59 (45) stichocytes. Posterior egion of body 13.84 to 19.50 (15.88) long. Ratio of anterior to posterior region 1:2.4 to 1:2.9 (1:2.7). Ratio of anterior region to total length 1:3.4 to 1:3.9 (1:3.7). Posterior extremity bears ventrally a small bursalike expansion and 2 small papillae. Body terminates in short blunt tail dorsally. Cloaca 3.31 to 3.70 (3.45) in length. Anus subterminal, surrounded by bursa. Spicule 2.22 to 2.96 (2.59) long, 12 to 17 /u (14) at maximum width, transversely striated, with blunt tip. Spicule sheath long, transversely striated, 18 to 26 / (22) at maximum width. Female (8 specimens): 29.15 to 36.46 (31.99) long, 77 to 100 ,u (87) at maximum width. Anterior region of body with muscular pharynx 276 to 684 /, (490) long, followed by 40 to 52 (48) stichocytes. Posterior region 24.51 to 30.29 (25.71) long. Ratio of anterior to posterior regions 1:3.4 to 1:4.9 (1:4.1). Ratio of anterior to total length 1:4.4 to 1:5.9 (1:5.1). Vulva 100 to 150 A (130) posterior to last stichocyte, anterior and posterior lips slightly salient. Anus subterminal. Posterior extremity slightly rounded and blunt, caudal papillae absent. Eggs unembryonated, 61 to 70 / (65) in length, 28 to 31 ,/ (30) in width. Holotype male: USNM Helm. Coll. No. 70563. Allotype female: USNM Helm. Coll. No. 70564. Paratypes: USNM Helm. Coll. No. 70565. Host: Coluber constrictor priapus Dunn and Wood, 1939. Location: Posterior region of oviducts; anterior end threaded into the mucosa, posterior region free in the lumen. Locality: Covington, Louisiana, USA 30?30' N, 90010' W. DISCUSSION The capillarids of cold-blooded vertebrates were thoroughly reviewed by Teixiera de Freitas and Lent (1935). In addition, Yama-

The worm is described from the mucosa of the hard palate, gums, and tongue of the common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, from Louisiana, Costa Rica, and Colombia. The new species differs from other described species of the genus by its marsupial host, the unique location in the host, and certain morphological characters. The pathology and certain observations on the biology of this species are discussed. This is the first report of this genus from a host indigenous to the Western Hemisphere. Anatrichosoma gerbillis Bernard comb. n. is proposed for Trichosomoides gerbillis Bernard, 1964. Nematodes of the genus Anatrichosoma were recovered from the buccal mucosa of the common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, from southern Louisiana, Costa Rica, and Colombia. The host and unique location of these parasites together with certain morphological characters provide the basis for the description of a new species of the genus Anatrichosoma. Nematodes were fixed in glacial acetic acid, stored in a mixture of 95 parts 70% ethyl alcohol and 5 parts glycerin, and studied in glycerin mounts after evaporation of the alcohol. In the following description all measurements are in millimeters unless otherwise indicated. The range of measurements and their means of the paratypes follow in parentheses the values for the holotype and allotype. Drawings were made with the aid of a camera lucida. Anatrichosoma buccalis sp. n. (Figs. 1-7) Description: Trichuroidea Railliet, 1916, Trichosomoididae York and Maplestone, 1926, Anatrichosomatinae Smith and Chitwood, 1954, Anatrichosoma Smith and Chitwood, 1954. With the characters of the genus. Small, slender nematodes. Received for publication 17 March 1972. * Supported in part by the Tulane University International Center for Medical Research and Training grant AI-10050 from the NIAID, NIH, U. S. Public Health Service. t Department of Tropical Medicine and Medical Parasitology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. t Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. Body of female increasing in diameter from anterior to posterior. Body of male uniform in diameter throughout most of length, slightly tapered at anterior and posterior extremities, diameter less than one-third that of female, length same as female or slightly longer. Cuticle thick, transparent, with two broad lateral bacillary bands extending entire length of body. Head with two lateral amphids, cephalic papillae absent or inapparent. Lips absent, oral opening dorsoventrally elongate, small stylet present. Cephalic inflation present in female, absent in male. Cuticle of female greatly thickened from just posterior to cephalic inflation to near end of second stichocyte. Nerve ring just posterior to cephalic inflation in female. Preglandular esophagus elongate, muscular. Anterior stichocytes longer than wide, gradually becoming larger, more compacted, and wider toward posterior extremity of esophagus. Intestine terminating in a small muscular rectum. Anus terminal. Vulva at level of or just posterior to last stichocyte, lips salient. Cloaca of male terminal, without spicule or spicule sheath. Posterior extremity of male with 2 small lateral papillae. Egg bipolar, thick-walled, with well-developed larva when laid. Female (based on holotype and 41 paratypes): 25.1 (17.3 to 34.0, 25.5) long, 215 (110 to 280, 192) pu in maximum width. Anterior region of body (anterior extremity to esophagointestinal junction) 3.6 (2.8 to 4.9, 3.7) long, 140 (85 to 165, 137) p wide at last stichocyte, muscular portion of esophagus 230 (150 to 265, 235) IA long, nerve ring 63 (55 to 67, 62) uf from anterior extremity, stichocytes 92 (71 to 93, 84) in number. Posterior region of body 21.5 (14.5 to 29.6, 21.7) long. Ratio of anterior body region to total length 1:7.0 (1:5.8 to 1:8.3, 1:6.9). Eggs 61 (53 to 70, 62) i long, 37 (32 to 40, 35) u wide. Male (based on allotype and 10 paratypes): 28.3 (22.0 to 29.0, 27.6) long, 55 (45 to 55, 50) )u maximum width. Anterior region of body 5.1 (3.6 to 5.2, 4.6) long, 45 (45 to 54, 49) u wide at last stichocyte, muscular portion of esophagus 220 (210 to 280, 226) /u long, nerve ring 64 (60 to 67, 64) u from anterior extremity, stichocytes 81 (74 to 86,

Regeneration was examined in different regions of planaria (Dugesia tigrina) in order to determine the effect that the shape of a section exerts on proportion regulation during regeneration. Length: width ratios were used as an index of section shape and experiments utilized sections at which this ratio was below 1.0 Proportion regulation was evaluated by determining relative area of major body regions for normal and abnormal regenerates. Proportional area of body regions anterior to the pharynx increased with proportional decreases in the length: width ratio for all regenerates, but this increase was greater for regenerates that originated from segments anterior to the pharynx. Changes in proportional area of one anterior body region were closely correlated to changes in porportional area of other anterior body regions. The exact nature of these correlations varied as a function of originating segment. A hierarchy also exists in proportional head tissue between normal and abnormal regenerates as total relative head area of twoheaded regenerates was around three times that of normal planarians while regenerates with one large head and without a pharynx had a proportional head size that was less than that of two‐headed animals but more than twice that of normal planarians.

Development of an Intensity Modulated Total Skin Electron Irradiation Technique

Lancelets (amphioxus) exhibit a remarkable asymmetric development in the anterior body region, which is reflected in the peripheral nervous system even at adulthood. Not all of the anterior nerves are involved, but the left third to fifth nerves are clearly asymmetric. To trace the developmental process responsible for asymmetric innervation, the peripheral nerves in the anterior region were studied in pre- and mid-metamorphic larvae, 1-cm-long juveniles, and in adults by using whole-mount immunostaining. The mouth changes in size and location during larval life before moving ventrally and, in conjunction with this change, nerves in the oral region are also modified. The left second nerve initially innervates the oral region, but this connection is secondarily lost. As the mouth expands and shifts posteriorly, the left fifth to ninth nerves join the left third and fourth in the innervation of the oral region. The left third to sixth nerves anastomose with the oral nerve ring, which encircles the mouth on the left side. In the juveniles and adults, there are two nerve plexuses that run parallel to the margin of the oral hood. The innermost of these, the "inner oral-hood nerve plexus", is asymmetrically connected with the left third to fifth nerves on both sides. The other, the "outer oral-hood nerve plexus", is ipsilaterally connected with the third to seventh nerves on both sides. The velar nerve ring is also innervated asymmetrically by the left fourth and fifth nerves. From these observations, we suggest that the oral nerve ring is the precursor of both the inner oral-hood nerve plexus and the velar nerve ring, and that the asymmetric innervation retained in adult lancelets is related to the early anastomosis of the left nerves with the oral nerve ring. We also show that, contrary to the persistent asymmetric innervation, the axonal patterns of the anterior peripheral nervous system in developing lancelets can change.

Antioxidant responses in different body regions of the polychaeta Laeonereis acuta (Nereididae) exposed to copper

The histology and ultrastructure of the body wall in Phoronopsis harmeriwere studied using light microscopy and TEM. The ectoderm epithelium of tentacles, anterior body region, and ampulla consists of monociliary cells. Gram-negative bacteria were found between microvilli, in the protocuticle of the anterior region, and in the ampulla. The epithelium of the posterior body region lacks both monociliary cells and bacteria. The bundles of nerve fibers run between the layer of epithelial cells and basal membrane. The musculature of the body wall comprises circular and longitudinal muscles. The circular muscle fibers are applied to the basal membrane and constitute a solid layer extending almost throughout the length of the body. This pattern is broken in the posterior body region, where there is no solid layer of circular musculature, and the latter is arranged in isolated muscle bands. In the ampullar (terminal) body region, the inversion of circular and longitudinal muscle layers takes place, so that the latter appears to be pressed against the basal membrane. The apical surfaces of longitudinal muscle cells bear cytoplasmic processes; some of the cells have a flagellum. The basal portion of the longitudinal muscle cells forms a cytoplasmic process containing bundles of tonofilaments. The processes of all cells making up the muscle bands are interwoven and anchored to the basal membrane.

Minimizing aggression during mixing of gestating sows with supplementation of a tryptophan-enriched diet

The excessive body fat, one of the results of obesity, brings with it comorbidities such as lipid changes, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus type 2 and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this controlled and randomized pilot study, as a non-pharmacological and non-invasive strategy, we consider two groups during 8 weeks: the use of moderate intensity physical exercise and nutritional education, as control group (n=10) and moderate intensity physical exercise, nutritional education and phototherapy (n=10), as phototherapy group. The used phototherapy parameters were: laser Ga-Al-As, wavelength 808 nm, continuous mode, output power 100 mW, and total energy delivery 92.16 J. Selected patients were men with age between 20 and 40 years old, primary obesity, body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 34.9 kg/ m2. The special device as described in the text was applied, allocated in the anterior region and posterior region of body during 5 minutes each side, totalizing 10 minutes of application of light, always at the end after session of exercise. Comparing the control group in relation to the phototherapy group, the better results were obtained for the phototherapy group, with statistical difference in all anthropometric variables, such as the increase of 3.54% (p<0.007) in total skeletal muscle mass; as well as, 2.77% (p<0.005) in the basal metabolic rate body; 5.47% (p<0.04) for metabolic progress; reduction of 4.67% (p<0.007) for body mass and reduction was also observed for total body fat, total trunk fat and visceral fat of which the phototherapy group showed the following reduction percentages: 14.3% (p<0.01), 14.7% (p<0.005) and 16.4% (p<0.03), respectively. A significant improvement was also observed in all the biochemical parameters and enzymatic analyzed, such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, the basal insulin, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase. Therefore the proposed treatment in this work suggests that the association of physical exercise, the nutritional education and phototherapy applied in obese men for two months caused great improvement in all anthropometric parameters, as well as, in all biochemistry and enzymatic parameters indicating that phototherapy is a potential instrument in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, being able to reverse the degree of steatosis in 8 weeks, besides it can be a new non-invasive treatment to obesity and its comorbidities.

Praeoral tentacles and epidermis of the anterior body region ofBranchiostoma lanceolatum Pallas have been investigated by electron microscopy. The epidermis of the praeoral tentacles and the anterior body region are mono-layered and cohere by strong denticulations of the adjoining cell walls. Vertical secretory vesicles at the cell surface give off mucous substances. The secretory vesicles are found only in the body epithelium. Between epithelium cells both epithelia contain two different secondary sensilla types.B. lanceolatum is the lowest chordate in which taste buds of the praeoral tentacles have been found. The taste buds overtop the surface of the epithelium. The praeoral tentacles are stiffened by a skeleton rod, situated asymmetrically and build up in layers. The skeleton rod is surrounded by connective tissue, which includes a coelomic space. Axon bundles of different strength are situated in the connective tissue. Not only the taste buds but also singular sensilla types are innervated by these axon bundles. The relatively strong basement lamina is partially zonated and contains pores. An antagonistically arranged layer of collagen fibres of varying thickness occurs below the basement lamina.

The auther has made a careful and detailed studies of the characters of the cercaria of Schistosoma japonicum and summaried as follows: 1. It was unable to demonstrate “size dimorphism between the sexes” which was suggested by Cort from his studies on an eye-spotted non-mammalian schistosome, in spite of most careful measurements of a large number of cercariae from many infested snails. 2. Beneath the circular and longitudinal musle layers is found a layer of diagonal muscle in the anterior half of the bodywall. 3. There are certain numbers of sensory organ (a process with a delicate hair) on the surface of the body and tail. 4. There are four retractor muscle bands in the anterior tip of the body. 5. A pair of granular cell groups which lie in the posterior region of the body of young cercaria remove into anterior body region (anterior organ) at all once at the time the cercaria is almost developed, and from characteristic sacs-a sort of syncytium. These sacs are namely “head gland” (of Narabayashi). But they have no function of secretion at all; it seems highly probable that they function mechanically to assist the penetration of the cercaria into the final host as a auxiliary apparatus of pushing out of the fore part of the anterior body region in cooperation with the boundary muscle. By above-mentioned views I wish to propose the name “head sac” instead of “head gland”. 6. Three pairs of retractor muscle bands radiate from the proximal region of the ventral sucker to the dorsal side of the body, where they are inserted. 7. From each ganglion two nerve stems run dorsally and ventrally, and each of them directly bifurcates into anterior and posterior nerve strands, which run respectively to the both ends of the body. 8. Two distinct type of movements, peristalsis and rythmic segmentation, are observed on the oesophagus. 9. Two special flame cells are recognized instead of the cilia which described by Cort as “ciliated area”, in the beginning part of each main collecting tube. 10. The ducts of poison glands (penetration gland) are fixed in x-shape by three pairs of muscle bands on the level of the ganglion. 11. Each opening of the poison glands has hair bush, which act probably as a closing apparatus. 12. There are definite morphological and microchemical distinctions between an anterior (2 pairs) and posterior (3 pairs) group of poison glands. 13. Five pairs of head spines (anterior spine) are found on the anterior tip of the body: three of them on the dorsal side and two (much smaller than the former) of them on the ventral side. Opposite to the Faust's description, each of head spines is not hollow in the center and does not cap the opening of the poison gland. 14. In the main stem of the tail are found circular, longitudinal and diagonal muscle layers. 15. The tail furcae take two distinct manners at swimming: 1) at body forward the furcae close together and agree with the axis of the tail-stem; 2) at tail forward the furcae open separately and make right angles to the tail-stem.

BackgroundPhoronida is a small group of marine worm-like suspension feeders, which together with brachiopods and bryozoans form the clade Lophophorata. Although their development is well studied on the morphological level, data regarding gene expression during this process are scarce and restricted to the analysis of relatively few transcription factors. Here, we present a description of the expression patterns of Hox genes during the embryonic and larval development of the phoronid Phoronopsis harmeri.ResultsWe identified sequences of eight Hox genes in the transcriptome of Ph. harmeri and determined their expression pattern during embryonic and larval development using whole mount in situ hybridization. We found that none of the Hox genes is expressed during embryonic development. Instead their expression is initiated in the later developmental stages, when the larval body is already formed. In the investigated initial larval stages the Hox genes are expressed in the non-collinear manner in the posterior body of the larvae: in the telotroch and the structures that represent rudiments of the adult worm. Additionally, we found that certain head-specific transcription factors are expressed in the oral hood, apical organ, preoral coelom, digestive system and developing larval tentacles, anterior to the Hox-expressing territories.ConclusionsThe lack of Hox gene expression during early development of Ph. harmeri indicates that the larval body develops without positional information from the Hox patterning system. Such phenomenon might be a consequence of the evolutionary intercalation of the larval form into an ancestral life cycle of phoronids. The observed Hox gene expression can also be a consequence of the actinotrocha representing a “head larva”, which is composed of the most anterior body region that is devoid of Hox gene expression. Such interpretation is further supported by the expression of head-specific transcription factors. This implies that the Hox patterning system is used for the positional information of the trunk rudiments and is, therefore, delayed to the later larval stages. We propose that a new body form was intercalated to the phoronid life cycle by precocious development of the anterior structures or by delayed development of the trunk rudiment in the ancestral phoronid larva.

Cladobranchian sea slugs are characterized by a number of dorsal projections, called "cerata," which are presumably involved in such biological functions as kleptocnidal defense, gas exchange, and symbiotic photosynthesis. Here, we investigated the developmental pattern of ceras formation in a cladobranchian, Pteraeolidia semperi, using field-collected individuals at various postembryonic developmental stages. As the body length increased, the total number of cerata increased in a logistic manner, up to 280 per individual. On the dorsal side of the body, the cerata exhibited a conspicuous formation of repeated, laterally-paired clusters, or rows, along the antero-posterior axis of the animals. As the body length increased, the number of ceras rows increased in a logistic manner, reaching a plateau at around 15 rows per individual. Two types of ceras clusters were observed: well-developed ceras clusters forming a glove-like structure with a basal bulge, which tended to be found in larger animals and at the anterior body region, and less-developed ceras clusters without the bulge, which tended to be found in smaller animals and at the posterior body region. Statistical and simulation analyses suggested that bulge formation underlies increased ceras number, even after the plateaued formation of new ceras rows. These results indicate that, in the postembryonic development of P. semperi, the increase of dorsal cerata entails the following processes: (i) increase of the number of ceras rows, (ii) formation of the basal bulge in each ceras cluster, and (iii) increase of the number of cerata per ceras cluster.

A new species belonging to an unusual polychaete genus Ctenophoricola is described as Ctenophoricola tzetlini sp. nov.. The new species differs from the two valid species of the genus in body proportions and in having: external eyes with well-developed cornea resembling those in free-living Alciopini, acicular chaetae in the anterior body region, a large pygidium with long anal cirri, and distinct bundles of cilia scattered over the posterior body region. The new species' similarity to an undescribed Ctenophoricola sp. from the Gulf of California is discussed. We hypothesize that the genus Ctenophoricola consists of two lineages, one strongly specialized as ectoparasites and the sister group closer to free-living Alciopini.

Recent morphometric analysis revealed a juvenile (meraspid) axial growth gradient in the trunk of the ~429 Myr old trilobite Aulacopleura koninckii that resulted from growth control based on positional specification, as is common among extant organisms. Here we explore axial growth gradients in the more anterior body region, the cephalon, and in the cephalon and trunk during subsequent development in the holaspid period. We detected an axial growth gradient in the cephalon in the meraspid period, flatter and opposite in direction to that of the trunk, which also persisted during the holaspid period. We also found an holaspid trunk growth gradient, with a different distribution of growth rates among segments than that of the meraspid period. These newly observed growth gradients are compatible with the mechanism of growth control inferred for the meraspid trunk. Thus, the same kind of growth control may have operated in both body regions and during the whole ontogeny of A. koninckii. This study, along with others on the same species that preceded it, show that morphometric analysis of appropriate data sets can address questions of high interest for evolutionary developmental biology using data from fossils. By revealing developmental features at deep nodes of the phylogenetic tree, these studies will elucidate both how developmental processes evolved and how they themselves affected the evolution of organismal body patterning.