Two new free-living marine species of <i>Desmodorella</i> (Nematoda: Desmodoridae) from the continental shelf of northeastern Brazil, with an emended generic diagnosis and a dichotomous key to the species.

Abstract

Two new species of <i>Desmodorella</i> are described from sediment samples collected on the continental shelf of northeastern Brazil. Although the occurrence of the genus has been previously reported in this region, the present study provides the first formal descriptions of <i>Desmodorella</i> species based on material collected from the Brazilian coast. <i>Desmodorella cornuta</i> sp. nov. is characterized by a protuberant horn-shaped cuticular projection positioned dorsally in the pharyngeal region, a unique characteristic among species of the genus. <i>Desmodorella parabalteata</i> sp. nov. is distinguished from other species by the presence of a cephalic capsule and cuticle ornamented with vacuoles, multispiral amphidial fovea, longitudinal rows of ridges that are often indistinct under light microscopy, two pairs of lateral rows of spines that are more prominent than the remaining rows, and thin, nearly straight spicules with a slightly swollen proximal end and lacking a capitulum. An emended diagnosis of the genus and a dichotomous key to species are provided.