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Non‐destructive imaging to describe a new species of Obama land planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)
Author(s) -
Carbayo Fernando,
Francoy Tiago M.,
Giribet Gonzalo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/zsc.12175
Subject(s) - biology , planarian , synapomorphy , paratype , holotype , zoology , genus , phylogenetic tree , clade , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , biochemistry , regeneration (biology)
The land planarians in the genus Obama include the largest species of the Neotropical Geoplaninae. Morphological discrimination of Obama species can be difficult, as many species are morphologically similar and some present asymmetric – difficult to interpret – copulatory organs. New techniques are thus welcomed to provide faster species description and identification. Here, we study several specimens of Obama by means of mainly 2D and 3D μ CT ‐based images obtained through X‐ray microcomputed tomography ( μ CT ) of a paratype, and, complementarily, histological sections of the holotype and a second paratype, which were digitized into virtual slides. Comparison of these images with traditional histological sections and descriptions of the known species of the genus allows us to conclude that our specimens constitute a new species, which we describe here. We further evaluate the phylogenetic placement of the new species using gene fragments from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the nuclear elongation factor‐1 α . Raw and derivative μ CT data and virtual histological sections were deposited in an open repository (Giga DB ) and are freely available. This work leads us to conclude that μ CT constitutes a relatively fast, inexpensive non‐destructive method that produces results comparable to those of traditional histology, and is thus amenable for describing flatworm species.