Opisthopatus

Opisthopatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Family: Peripatopsidae
Genus: Opisthopatus
Purcell, 1899
Species
See text

Opisthopatus is a genus of South African velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae.[1][2] Velvet worms in this genus are found in South Africa, in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga provinces, as well as in Lesotho and Eswatini.[3] This genus was first proposed in 1899 by the zoologist William F. Purcell to contain the newly discovered species O. cinctipes, which he designated as the type species.[4]

Description

Color is highly variable in this genus, both among and within species.[5] The dorsal integument ranges from blue black to slate grey or brown, and the ventral integument ranges from creamy white to brown. The number of legs in this genus range from 16 pairs (e.g., in O. cinctipes) to 18 pairs (in O. roseus). Velvet worms in this genus use the last pair of legs in walking. This leg pair is fully developed, with claws and four pads on each foot.[6] The feet in this genus feature three distal leg papillae: one anterior, one posterior, and one median.[7] The genital opening is located between the last pair of legs.[5] The male genitalia feature a cruciform opening and four pads; the female genitalia feature a longitudinal opening.[6]

Reproduction

Mothers in this genus give birth to live young.[8] In particular, this genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta.[9] The young are born tail first, one or two at a time. The young resemble adults in form but are smaller.[7]

Species

The genus contains the following species:[1]

References

Wikispecies has information related to Opisthopatus.
  1. ^ a b Oliveira I.; Hering L. & Mayer G. "Updated Onychophora checklist". Onychophora Website. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  2. ^ Oliveira, I. S.; Read, V. M. S. J. & Mayer, G. (2012). "A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names". ZooKeys (211): 1–70. Bibcode:2012ZooK..211....1O. doi:10.3897/zookeys.211.3463. PMC 3426840. PMID 22930648.
  3. ^ Barnes, Aaron; Daniels, Savel R. (2022). "Refining species boundaries among velvet worms (Onychophora, Peripatopsidae), with the description of two new species of Opisthopatus from South Africa". Invertebrate Biology. 141 (2): 2. doi:10.1111/ivb.12368. ISSN 1077-8306.
  4. ^ Purcell, W F; Purcell, W. F. (1899). "On the South African species of Peripatidae in the collection of the South African Museum". Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. 1: 331–351 [349]. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.13902.
  5. ^ a b Ruhberg, Hilke (1985). Die Peripatopsidae (Onychophora) : Systematik, Ökologie, Chorologie und phylogenetische Aspekte (in German). Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart. pp. 81–82. ISBN 3-510-55023-4. OCLC 14872354.
  6. ^ a b Daniels, Savel R.; Dambire, Charlene; Klaus, Sebastian; Sharma, Prashant P. (2016). "Unmasking alpha diversity, cladogenesis and biogeographical patterning in an ancient panarthropod lineage (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae: Opisthopatus cinctipes ) with the description of five novel species". Cladistics. 32 (5): 506–537. doi:10.1111/cla.12154. PMID 34727674. S2CID 49525550.
  7. ^ a b Hamer, M.L.; Samways, M.J.; Ruhberg, H. (1997). "A review of the Onychophora of South Africa, with discussion of their conservation". Annals of the Natal Museum. 38 (1): 283–312 [285, 289].
  8. ^ Mayer, Georg; Bartolomaeus, Thomas & Ruhberg, Hilke (2005). "Ultrastructure of mesoderm in embryos of Opisthopatus roseus (Onychophora, Peripatopsidae): Revision of the 'long germ band' hypothesis for Opisthopatus". Journal of Morphology. 263 (1): 60–70. doi:10.1002/jmor.10289. PMID 15536644. S2CID 33663506.
  9. ^ Mayer, Georg; Franke, Franziska Anni; Treffkorn, Sandra; Gross, Vladimir; de Sena Oliveira, Ivo (2015), Wanninger, Andreas (ed.), "Onychophora", Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Invertebrates 3, Vienna: Springer Vienna, pp. 53–98, doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-1865-8_4, ISBN 978-3-7091-1864-1, retrieved 2023-02-15


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