Table 2 Comparison of adult characters of the species assigned to the R. carolinensis-group
Common features | R. carolinensis Higgins & Kristensen, 1986 (♀?) | R. ornatus Higgins & Kristensen, 1986 (♂ and ♀) | R. manuelae sp. nov. (♂) |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Mouth cone | Without external armature. Mouth tube with 6 ridges | Single ventral seta at mouth opening. Second section with 8 double ridges | Second section with 4 ridges bifurcating distally. Eight triangular plates |
2. Ruff | Absent | Present | Present |
3. Clavoscalid structure | Flat. Unsegmented. One spinose tip | Flat. Segmented. Longitudinal ridge in proximal segment | Flat. Unsegmented. Four spinose tips. Two complete longitudinal ridges |
4. Variation in clavoscalids | Data not available | ♂8 uniform clavoscalids with one cross-wall at distal third | Single longitudinal ridge in dorsal pair |
♀ 8 clavoscalids; six with two cross-walls and two ventral with single cross-wall | |||
5. Spinoscalids of second row | Elongate. Uniform | Dorsal ones elongate; ventral ones leg-like | Elongate. All uniform, with finger-like tip |
6. Double organ | Not fused | Short; partly fused | Long; not fused |
7. All spinoscalids 4–8 rows | Filiform, spine-like | Filiform, spine-like; 8th row serrated | Filiform; spine-like; 8th row finely serrated |
8. Type B scalids of fourth row | No differences could be found between A and B types | Short; double claw tip | Very long; single claw tip |
9. Scalids of 9th row | Beak-like; short | Beak-like; short | Beak-like; long |
10. Round structures | Between 8th and 9th rows | Not present | Between 8th and 9th rows |
11. Trichoscalid basal plates | bp1: 8 pentagonal with spine bp2: absent bp3a: 7 with short spine bp3b: 8 poorly defined | bp1: 8 with spine + 7 beak-like bp2: 7 with long spine bp3: 15 (8 large + 7 small) | bp1: 8 pentagonal with spine bp2a: 7 triangular bp2b: 8 three-pointed bp3: 15 trapezoid (7 large + 8 small) |
12. Trichoscalids | 15 single; flat with serrated margins ~30 μm long | 15 single; flat with serrated margins; ~55 μm long | 15 single; flat with serrated margins; ~70 μm long |
13. Lorica transverse folds (constrictions) | Two: middle and posterior | Two: middle (zigzag) and posterior | Four: two anterior + two posterior. Midventral pointed oval area at posterior end |
14. Anal cone | Plate-like; anus dorsal? | Large plate surrounded by 12 small plates; anus location unknown | 8–10 anal plates (two star-shaped); anus ventral |