''Multisepta'' is a genus of

flatworm Platyhelminthes (from the Greek language, Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") is a Phylum (biology), phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, Segmentation (biology), ...

belonging to the family

Cryptocelidae Cryptocelidae is a family of flatworms. Genera The following genera are recognised in the family Cryptocelidae: * ''Adenodactyloplana'' Bulnes, Faubel & Ponce de Leon, 2003 * ''Cryptocelis'' Lang, 1884 * ''Hylocelis'' Faubel, 1983 * ''Macginitie ...

. It is monotypic, containing the sole species ''Multisepta fengari''. It is found on

El Hierro El Hierro (), nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the farthest south and west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a population of 11,659 (2023). ...

within the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

Description

Members of ''Multisepta'' have tentacles, and both cerebral and tentacular eye clusters are present. The male copulatory apparatus has a true seminal vesicle and a complicated stylet. The prostatic vesicle is muscular. The

gonopore A gonopore, sometimes called a gonadopore, is a genital pore in many invertebrates. Hexapods, including insects, have a single common gonopore, except mayflies, which have a pair of gonopores. More specifically, in the unmodified female, it is ...

s are separated, and the vagina is bulbous. ''M. fengari'' is oval in shape, around 6 mm in length. The dorsum is smooth, and there are two small nuchal tentacles. The body is translucent, and the margin has orange tones. The middle of the body is whitish. The ovaries give the species a mottled appearance.

Etymology

The generic name ''Multisepta'' is derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

words ''multiplex'' and ''septum'', meaning "multiple partitions", which refers to the unique structure of the species' prostatic vesicle. The specific epithet ''fengari'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

(), meaning "moon", in reference to the species dorsally resembling translucent moonlight.

Distribution and ecology

''M. fengari'' is known to be found on the island of

within the

. The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

was found in a cove near the locality of La Restinga; the specimen was found in low light and in shallow waters.

References

Rhabditophora Taxa described in 2017 Invertebrates of the Canary Islands {{Flatworm-stub