Gagarin, V. G.; Klerman, A. K. (2006). Two new species of Mesacanthion Filipjev, 1927 (Nematoda: Enoplida) from the Mediterranean Sea. Nematology. 8 (4): 533-538.
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Gagarin, V. G.; Klerman, A. K.
2006
Two new species of Mesacanthion Filipjev, 1927 (Nematoda: Enoplida) from the Mediterranean Sea
Two new nematode species of the genus Mesacanthion, M. obscurum sp. n. and M. propinquum sp. n., both isolated from sediment in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, are described and illustrated. Mesacanthion obscurum sp. n. is similar to M. diplechma and M. southerni, but differs from the first species by having a narrower labial region, shorter outer labial setae, shorter right spiculum, and shorter distance from supplement to cloacal aperture; and from the second species by a shorter female body, shorter outer labial setae, shorter distance from supplement to cloacal aperture, and the presence of a ventral protuberance on the male tail. Mesacanthion propinquum sp. n. resembles M. southerni and M. obscurum sp. n., but differs from the first species by having a shorter female body, less slender tail, narrower labial region, shorter outer labial setae, shorter distance from supplement to cloacal aperture, and absence of transverse striations on the right spicule; and from M. obscurum sp. n. by the shorter outer labial setae (10-15 vs 37- 44 ìm), shorter distance from supplement to cloacal aperture (28-31 vs 36-59 ìm) and absence of transverse striations on the surface of the right spicule. A key is provided for those Mesacanthion species possessing anisomorphic and anisometric spicules.