Spinosphaera barega, Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Hutchings, Pat A., 2007

Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Hutchings, Pat A., 2007, New species of terebellid polychaetes (Polychaeta: Terebellidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 1473, pp. 1-24 : 11-12

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.176723

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5627895

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03828032-FF81-FFD4-F5C6-FAB8FE9BFB10

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Spinosphaera barega
status

sp. nov.

Spinosphaera barega View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 )

Material examined. Type series. Holotype: AM W30726: coll. north end Long Island, Wallabi Group, Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, 28º28.3’S 113º 46’3’E, St. WA 521, 8m, dead coral substrate, covered in coralline algae, by C. Bryce, 22nd May 1994, posteriorly incomplete and lacking all buccal tentacles, measuring 8 mm in length, 0.7 mm maximum width, with all notochaetigerous segments plus 14 segments with neuropodia only. Paratype: AM W22544: coll. 28º24’S 113º46.16’E, Wallabi Group, Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, St. WA 551, 35m, dredged in scallop beds, with shell debris, by P. Hutchings, 30th May 1994, posteriorly incomplete, measuring 10.76 mm in length, 1.14 mm maximum width, with all notochaetigerous segments plus 14 segments with neuropodia only.

Description. Prostomium at base of upper lip; numerous small eyespots present in circular cluster on lateral margins of basal part of prostomium ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–D). Upper lip short, hood-like, broader than high; lower lip small and narrow ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–F). Anterior segments not dorsally inflated, compacted until segment 11. Segment 1 visible dorsally, ventrally and laterally; dorsally narrow, ventrally forming lobe below lower lip ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–F). Lateral lobes absent. Ventral shields on segments 2–14, all smooth, shield on segment 3 shortest ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 E), then progressively increasing in size until segment 14; from segment 15, shields replaced by mid ventral stripe extending posteriorly.

Notopodia beginning on segment 4 ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–F), extending until segment 26; first pair of notopodia about same size as following pairs and dorsally aligned to them, notopodia on segments 4–7 inserted progressively more laterally, subsequently vertically aligned ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 B–D). Notochaetae of both tiers of anterior notochaetigerous segments, until segment 9–10 (9 in holotype, 10 in paratype), as broadly winged bilimbate capillaries ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 A); on segments 10–11 (10 in holotype, 11 in paratype), chaetae of anterior tier as alimbate, serrate capillaries, with blade in angle with shaft, chaetae of posterior tier transitional, with limbation ending subdistally and serrated blade; from segment 11–12 (11 in holotype, 12 in paratype), chaetae of anterior tier alimbate, serrate capillaries, with blade in angle with shaft, chaetae of posterior tier characteristic “ spinosphaera chaetae”, with short broadly winged basal limbation, followed by portion with inflated and hispid shaft and finely serrate distal blade ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 B–D).

Neuropodia beginning from segment 5, as low rectangular ridges slightly raised from surface of body throughout. Uncini arranged in partially intercalated double rows ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 C–D) from segment 13 until penultimate notochaetigerous segment (in both specimens), last notochaetigerous segment with uncini in a single row ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 F); irregular double rows usually 1 uncinus on anterior row (with beak posteriorly directed) and 2– 3 uncini on posterior row ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 C–D). Uncini short handled throughout, with short, triangular heel, downwardly directed prow, dorsal button at about mid length of distance between base of main fang and tip of prow, somewhat closer to base of main fang, and main fang surmounted by about 5 rows of secondary teeth ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ).

Nephridial papillae not seen. Pygidium unknown.

Remarks. A comparison between the species currently assigned to Spinosphaera is provided in Table 2 View TABLE 2 .

Spinosphaera barega sp. nov., is closer to S. harrisae and S. pacifica , as both these species have similar notochaetae and uncini arranged in double rows terminating before the end of thorax ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). Spinosphaera harrisae differs from S. barega sp. nov., in having different arrangement of eyespots, only 20 pairs of notopodia and nephridial papillae on segments 7–12 or 13, while S. barega sp. nov., has 23 pairs of notopodia and nephridial papillae are absent or, at least, not visible ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). Spinosphaera pacifica differs from S. barega sp. nov., in lacking eyespots and in having nephridial papillae on segments 3 and 6–20.

Etymology. The specific name “ barega ” refers to an aboriginal word for wind ( Endacott 1973), as the type locality for this species Houtman Abrolhos is noted for the strong winds which blow for most of the year on these islands.

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF