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Helgol Mar Res (2013) 67:251265 DOI 10.1007/s10152-012-0320-5
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Biology and distribution of hemichordates (Enteropneusta) with emphasis on Harrimaniidae and descriptionof Protoglossus bocki sp. nov. from Scandinavia
Tomas Cedhagen Hans G. Hansson
Received: 29 August 2011 / Revised: 29 June 2012 / Accepted: 14 July 2012 / Published online: 14 September 2012 Springer-Verlag and AWI 2012
Abstract A new species of the genus Protoglossus is described from the west coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It lives buried in clay bottoms below the halocline where the salinity is at least 3334 psu. Body small, estimated maximal length 1.5 cm. Collar broader than long, with a forward inclination. The thickest part is the collar region where it can be up to 1 mm in diameter. Proboscis colouration light pink to golden yellow; collar white with transversal yellow bands; branchial, hepatic and intestinal regions translucent pale yellow to golden yellow; brown intestine visible through the body wall. Proboscis groove extends through posterior half of proboscis. Nine to 17 pairs of gill openings, the size of the posteriormost successively smaller. It differs from the other European species, Protoglossus koehleri, in colouration, smaller size, fewer gill openings, body shape and proportions. It was sequenced (18S rRNA gene) and clustered within the family Harrimaniidae, with Saxipendium as its closest relative.
Keywords Hemichordata Enteropneusta
Harrimaniidae Protoglossus bocki n.sp. Scandinavian
Peninsula
Introduction
Enteropneusts are poorly known in the SkagerrakKattegat area. Von Willemoes-Suhm (1871) described Harrimania kupfferi (originally as Balanoglossus Kupfferi) from resund, Denmark. This species was later reported from the Gullmarfjord area by Thel (1908) and subsequent authors. A second species, Glossobalanus marginatus Meek 1922, was obtained from Sweden by Lindroth (1941) and Siln (1950). The marine fauna of Sweden from the Norwegian border toresund was investigated from 1925 to 1938. Altogether, 440 stations were sampled, but there are no reports on enteropneusts (Hubendick et al. 1971). The conventional sieving and sorting methods have probably destroyed all the fragile enteropneusts.
The new species has been sampled off the west coast of Sweden since the earlier parts of the twentieth century. Collectors were Dr. Gunnar Gustafson (18911988) at Kristineberg Marinezoological Station, Fiskebackskil (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences), and Prof. Sixten Bock (18841946) at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm. In August 1927, when...