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1 NATURA MONTENEGRINA, Podgorica, 2011, 10(4): SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF Copidognathus arabicus CHATTERJEE & CHANG (ACARI, HALACARIDAE) AND NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE Copidognathus bairdi GROUP SENSU LATO IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Tapas C H A T T E R J E E 1 and Bhikari Charan G U R U 2 1 Department of Biology, Indian School of Learning, I.S.M. Annexe, P.O.-I.S.M. Dhanbad , Jharkhand, India. drtchatterjee@yahoo.co.in 2 Deartment of Zoology, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar , Orissa, India. bcguru50@rediffmail.com SYNOPSIS Key words: Copidognathus arabicus, SEM, bairdi group, distribution, India, Indian Ocean. Scanning Electron microscopic observations of some characters of Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang is presented. Distribution of the species, belonging to the C. bairdi group sensu lato, in the Indian Ocean is also discussed. INTRODUCTION Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, 2004 was first described from Mumbai coast of India (Chatterjee & Chang, 2004). Dovgal et al. (2008) reported suctorian ciliates Praethecacineta halacari (Schulz, 1933) as epibionts on C. arabicus from Goa, India. In the present paper, the morphology of C. arabicus is studied in detail, based on scanning electron microscopic observations of specimens from Goa, India. C. arabicus belongs to the bairdi group sensu stricto. Distribution of the bairdi group sensu lato from the Indian Ocean is also provided. MATERIAL AND METHODS Specimens were collected from Anjuna beach and Vagator beach of Goa, west coast of India (Arabian Sea) among mixed intertidal samples of algae and sediment. Specimens for scanning electron microscopy were prefixed overnight at 4 C in 2.5% glutaraldehyde, followed by post fixation in 2% cold osmium tetraoxide. After

2 Natura Montenegrina 10(4), 2011 dehydration in a graded series of ethanol solutions (50-100% with specimens kept for 30 min at each 10% increase in concentration), the material was dried in the critical point dryer, and coated with gold-palladium in a high evaporator. They were then examined with a scanning electron microscope. The following abbreviations are used in the text and figure legends: ADanterior dorsal plate; GO-genital opening; OC-ocular plate(s); PAS-parambulacral seta(e); PD-posterior dorsal plate; PE-posterior epimeral plate(s). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, 2004 (Figs. 1-5) Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang 2004, , Figures 3, 4. The original description of this species is given in Chatterjee & Chang, Some characters referred to species in that paper are described in more details according to the present SEM study. Areolae and costae on dorsal plates with rosette pores. Each rosette pore with an ostium and very fine canliculi. AD with one oblong anterior areola, two middle areolae pyriform (some times crescent shaped), and one marginal posterior areolae. PD with four costae, middle costae three rosette pores wide, lateral costae two rosette pores wide; middle and lateral costae join anteriorly. Proto- and deutorostral setae situated at tip of rostrum, tritorostral setae (long maxillary setae of rostrum) at the anterior half of rostrum, gnathosomal base with a pair of setae (basirostral setae). Telofemur I with narrow outermost ventrolateral lamella. Genu IV with four setae. Tibia I with one pointed ventrolateral smooth seta, one pointed ventromedial smooth seta distally and one small blunt ventromedial smooth seta proximally. Tibia II with one long, smooth ventral seta and two thick, pectinate ventromedial setae. Tibia III with one thick, pectinate ventromedial seta. All setae of tibia IV smooth. Tarsi III and IV with four dorsal setae, distance between two basidorsal setae of tarsi III and IV subequal with height of the segment. Tarsi I-II each with two doublet eupathid PAS. On tarsus III lateral PAS seta like and medial PAS flattened.tarsus IV with both PAS small flattened pectinate. All legs with two lateral claws and one bidentate median claw. Lateral claws with accessory process dorsally. Lateral claws of tarsus I smooth ventrally. Lateral claws of tarsi II-IV larger than those of tarsus I, furnished with well developed ventral pecten. Many specimens were infested with epibiont suctorian ciliates Praethecacineta halacari (Schulz, 1933). 426

C: AD, OC and PD; D: Magnified view of middle areolae on AD; E: part of PD show ing costae; F:

3 Chatterjee & Guru: S C A N N I N G E L E C T R O N M I C R O S C O P I C O B S E R V A T I O N S O F... Figure 1: Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang; A: Habitus dorsal; B: part of AD, OC and PD; C: AD, OC and PD; D: Magnified view of middle areolae on AD; E: part of PD show ing costae; F: Magnified view of rosette pores of middle areola on AD. (Scale bars: A= 100 µm, B,C, E=50 µm, D=20 µm, F=5 µm). 427

C: Ciliates attached w ith idiosoma ventral; D: GO; E: Part of Anal

4 Natura Montenegrina 10(4), 2011 Figure 2: Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, female; A: Habitus ventral; B: Part of areola on PE; C: Ciliates attached w ith idiosoma ventral; D: GO; E: Part of Anal area; F: Gnathosoma. (Scale bars: A = 200 µm, B = 10 µm, C = 50 µm, D -F= 20 µm). 428

5 Chatterjee & Guru: S C A N N I N G E L E C T R O N M I C R O S C O P I C O B S E R V A T I O N S O F... Figure 3: Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, female; A: Legs I & II; B and C: Tip of tarsus I; D: Part of tibia II showing pectinate setae; E and F: Tip of tarsus II. (Scale bars: A= 50 µm, B,D=20 µm, C, E, F=10 µm). 429

pectinate seta; C: Tip of tarsus III; D and E: leg IV; F: Tarsus IV.

6 Natura Montenegrina 10(4), 2011 Figure 4: Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, female; A: leg III; B: Part of tibia III Show ing pectinate seta; C: Tip of tarsus III; D and E: leg IV; F: Tarsus IV. (Scale bars: A = 100 µm, B = 10 µm, C = 20 µm, D, E = 50 µm, F = 20 µm). 430

outermost ventrolateral lamella indicated by arrow ) and genu I; D: Leg IV (arrow indicating 4 setae on genu IV); E: Tibia I (distal ventromedial seta indicated

7 Chatterjee & Guru: S C A N N I N G E L E C T R O N M I C R O S C O P I C O B S E R V A T I O N S O F... Figure 5: Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, female; A: Part of areola near posterolateral side on GA; B: Part of gnathosoma; C: Telofemur I (narrow outermost ventrolateral lamella indicated by arrow ) and genu I; D: Leg IV (arrow indicating 4 setae on genu IV); E: Tibia I (distal ventromedial seta indicated by arrow 1, proximal ventromedial seta indicated by arrow 2, ventrolateral seta indicated by arrow 3); F : T a r s u s I ( P AS i n d i c a t e d b y a r r o w ). (Scale bars: A, F= 5 µm, B, C= 10 µm, C = 10 µm, D, E = 20 µm). 431

8 Natura Montenegrina 10(4), 2011 DISTRIBUTION OF THE BAIRDI GROUP SENSU LATO IN THE INDIAN OCEAN: There are many species groups in the genus Copidognathus. One of such groups is the bairdi group (Newell, 1947; Bartsch, 1984, 1996, 1997). Characteristics of the bairdi group are PD with two or four longitudinal costae with rosette pores and two pairs of prominent gland pores; ovipositor only slightly extending beyond GO; spermatopositor large, extending beyond GO for length of GO; genu IV with four setae Bartsch (1997). Bartsch (1997) subdivided the bairdi group into five subgroups viz. bairdi group s. str., ornatus group, spinula group, temaeus group and gibberipes group. Five species of the bairdi group s. str. are recorded from the Indian Ocean. C. africanus Bartsch, 1972, which was reported among algae and sand on the sea shore near Knysna, South Africa (Bartsch, 1972). Konnerth-Ionescu (1977) reported C. africanus among Acropora palmate and coarse sand, from Kunduchi, Tanzania. C. sideus Bartsch, 1982 was reported from Mozambique channel (Bartsch, 1982) and eastern and western coast of India (Chatterjee & Sarma, 1993). C. andamanensis Chatterjee & De Troch, 2003 was reported from Chiriatapu, Andaman Islands, India (Bay of Bengal) (Chatterjee & De Troch, 2003) among the sediments associated to the coral algae Halimeda opuntia. Bartsch (2009) wrongly wrote this species name as Copidognathus andamensis Chatterjee & De Troch, 2003 in the species list of halacarid mites. Chatterjee & Chang (2004) reported C. arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, 2004 from Mumbai, India among algae and sediments associated with rocks. C. ungujaensis Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang, 2006 was recorded from Matemwe, the east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania (Chatterjee et al. 2006) among coralline sediments of Fungia. Proches & Marshall (2002) recorded C. bairdi Newell, 1947 from southern and southeastern Africa but according to Bartsch (2009) A record of C. bairdi from South Africa (Proches & Marshall 2002) is most likely one of C. africanus Bartsch, 1972, we agree with Bartsch (2009). C. gitae Chatterjee, 1991 a member of the spinula group (a subgroup under the bairdi group s. l.) was reported among algae from Palm beach, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (Chatterjee, 1991; Chatterjee & Annapurna, 2003). C. ornatus Bartsch, 1981 is a member of the ornatus group (a subgroup under the bairdi group s. l.) was recorded from Mozambique Channel (Bartsch, 1981) C. temaeus Bartsch, 1992 was reported among coralline algae Jania rubens from Chatam island, Andaman islands (Chatterjee, 1996). This is a member of the tameus group (a subgroup under the bairdi group s. l.). C. fungiae Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang, 2006 a member of the tameus group was described from Matemwe, the east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania (Chatterjee et al., 2006) among coralline sediments of Fungia. C. meridianus Bartsch, 2003 was reported from sandy deposits at Dampier, Western Australia (Bartsch, 2003). C. meridianus is a member of the bairdi group, 432

9 Chatterjee & Guru: SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF... though it cannot be attributed to any of the subgroups - Bartsch (2003). It is also the first arenicolous species of this group. C. pseudosidellus Chatterjee, 1997, reported from Andaman Islands (Chatterjee, 1997) shows similarity to C. sidellus Bartsch but does not belong to the bairdi group. It possesses three setae on genu IV, whereas four setae are found on this structure in the bairdi group of species. Of the ten species belonging to the bairdi group s. l. from the Indian Ocean, two species, C. ornatus and C. temaeus, are also found in other oceanic regions. C. temaeus was reported from Moorea, Bora Bora, Society Islands, western Pacific and C. ornatus from Great Barrier reef, Australia, western Pacific (Bartsch, 1992; Otto, 2001). Furthermore, all of the species are found in the intertidal or subtidal zones. However, C. sideus has a broad ecological distribution and occurs in both the intertidal and at the depth of m. Species of the bairdi group are known from both the tropical and warm temperate regions. A more extensive faunistic survey covering a greater part of the Indian Ocean is likely to lead to an increase in the number of species in the bairdi group from this region. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We are very much thankful to Dr. Benny K K Chan, Academia Sinica, Taiwan for making the SEM photos of these mites and for helping final arrangement of the plates. Thanks are due to Dr David J Marshall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, for English linguistic help. REFERENCES: BARTSCH, I. 1972: Halacaridae (Acari) aus Südafrika. Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut, 69: BARTSCH, I. 1981: Halacaridae (Acari) aus dem Kanal von Moçambique. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 22: BARTSCH, I. 1982: Weitere Halacaridae (Acari) aus dem Kanal von Moçambique. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 23: BARTSCH, I.1984: New species of the Bairdi group in the genus Copidognathus (Acari, Halacaridae). Bulletin of marine Science, 35: BARTSCH, I. 1992: Halacariden von den Inseln Moorea und Bora Bora, Gesellschaftsinseln, Polynesien (Arachnida: Acari). Senckenbergiana biologica, 72: BARTSCH, I. 1996: Halacaridae (Acari) from the Great Barrier Reef. Description of a new species of Copidognathus. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 108: BARTSCH, I. 1997: Copidognathinae (Halacaridae, Acari) from northern Australia; description of four new species. In: Hanley, J.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (Eds), Proceedings of the Sixth International Biological Workshop. Museums & Art Galleries of Northern Territory, Darwin, pp:

10 Natura Montenegrina 10(4), 2011 BARTSCH, I. 2003: A new arenicolous Copidognathus (Halacaridae: Acari) from Dampier, Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth. In: Wells, F.E., Walker, D.I. & Jones, D.S. (Eds), The Marine Flora and Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. - Western Australian Museum, Perth, pp BARTSCH, I. 2009: Checklist of marine and freshwater halacarid mite genera and species (Halacaridae: Acari) with notes on synonyms, habitats, distribution and descriptions of the taxa. Zootaxa, 1998: CHATTERJEE, T. 1991: Copidognathus gitae, a new species of Halacaridae (Acari) from Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 88: CHATTERJEE, T. & SARMA, A.L.N. 1993: Occurrence of Copidognathus sideus Bartsch 1982 (Halacaridae: Acari) from Indian Ocean region. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 90(2): CHATTERJEE, T. 1996: Record of Copidognathus temaeus Bartsch (Halacaridae: Acari) from Indian Ocean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 38: CHATTERJEE, T. 1997: A new species, Copidognathus pseudosidellus (Halacaridae : Acari) from Andaman Islands. Journal of the Andaman Science Association, 13: CHATTERJEE, T & ANNAPURNA, C. 2003: Additional information on three species of Halacaridae (Acari) from India. Journal of Acquatic Biology, 18(2): CHATTERJEE, T.& DE TROCH, M. 2003: Copidognathus andamanensis, A new marine Halacaridae (Acari) from Andaman Island (India). Bulletin De L' Institut Royal Des Sciences Naturelles De Belgique, Belgium, Entomologie, 73: CHATTERJEE, T. & CHANG, C.Y. 2004: Two new Copidognathus halacarids (Acari, Halacaridae) from the Mumbai Coast of India (Arabian Sea). Italian Journal of Zoology, 71: CHATTERJEE, T., DE TROCH, M. & CHANG, C.Y. 2006: Three halacarid mites of the genus Copidognathus (Acari: Halacaridae) from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 47: DOVGAL, I., CHATTERJEE, T. & INGOLE, B. 2008: An overview of Suctorian ciliates (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts of halacarid mites (Acari: Halacaridae). Zootaxa, 1810: KONNERTH-IONESCU, A. 1977: Marine Acari (Arachnida, Acari) from the littoral waters of Tanzania. Travaux du Muséum d Histoire Naturelle Grigore Antipa, 18: NEWELL, I.M. 1947: A systematic and ecological study of the Halacaridae of eastern North America. Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection, 10: OTTO, J.C. 2001: Halacaridae of the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon and Coral Sea: The Copidognathus ornatus group (Acarina: Prostigmata: Halacaridae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 46: PROCHES, S. & MARSHALL, D.J. 2002: Diversity and biogeography of southern African intertidal Acari. - Journal of Biogeography, 29: Received: 27 October

On the systematic of the water mite Piona annulata (Thor, 1900) (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Pionidae)

ISSN 2336-9744 (online) ISSN 2337-0173 (print) The journal is available on line at www.biotaxa.org/em Correspondence On the systematic of the water mite Piona annulata (Thor, 1900) (Acari, Hydrachnidia: