| Neomphalina | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Peltospiridae | |||||
Melanodrymia aurantica | Peltospira delicata | Gigantopelta chessoia | Chrysomallon squamiferum | |||
Body size | adult 2Â mm | adult 6Â mm | juvenile (2Â mm) | adult (50Â mm) | juvenile (2.2Â mm) | adult (45Â mm) |
Dermal armature | none | none | none | scales in few rows | dense and asymmetric scales | |
Nervous system | ganglionate | ganglionate | ganglionate | non-ganglionate | ||
Oesophageal gland | symmetrical foregut pouches without glandular material | small, symmetrical foregut glands | fused, enlarged gland, occupying 0.6% of visceral mass volume | fused, enlarged gland, increasing allometrically up to 9% of visceral mass volume | fused, enlarged gland, occupying 9% of visceral mass volume | fused, enlarged gland, increasing isometrically with growth |
Heart | heart not enlarged (ventricle 0.10Â mm in animal length 2.1Â mm) | heart not enlarged (ventricle 0.65Â mm in animal length 6Â mm) | heart greatly enlarged (ventricle 0.42Â mm in animal length 2.0Â mm) | heart greatly enlarged and muscular (ventricle 6Â mm) | heart greatly enlarged and muscular (ventricle 0.64Â mm in animal length 2.2Â mm) | heart greatly enlarged and muscular (ventricle 8Â mm) |
Blood sinuses | thin | thin | large, but few and fixed position | many large and mobile blood sinuses | ||
Reproduction | gonochoristic | gonochoristic | gonochoristic, fully developed gonad at body size 2.0Â mm | gonochoristic | no gonad present at body size 2.2Â mm | simultaneous hermaphrodite |