Biology:Metaperipatus

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Short description: Genus of velvet worms

Metaperipatus
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Family: Peripatopsidae
Genus: Metaperipatus
Clark, 1913
Species:
M. inae
Binomial name
Metaperipatus inae
Mayer, 2007

Metaperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae that includes the species Metaperipatus inae.[1] Males of this species have 20 pairs of legs; females have 22 pairs.[2] This species is a dark grayish blue in color, with large orange/red spots.[2] When walking, females of this species can be as long as 85 mm, and males can be as long as 60 mm.[2] The type locality is in central Chile .[3]

A second species assigned to this genus, M. blainvillei (Gervais, 1837), includes females with 20 to 22 pairs of legs and males with 19 to 22,[4] but M. blainvillei is considered a nomen dubium by Oliveira et al., 2012, because it is probably a species complex.[3]

Velvet worms in this genus exhibit matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta.[5]

References

Further reading

  • Mayer, G. (2007). "Metaperipatus inae sp nov (Onychophora : Peripatopsidae) from Chile with a novel ovarian type and dermal insemination". Zootaxa 1440 (1440): 21–37. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1440.1.2. 

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