Ampharete lindstroemi Hessle, 1917

Imajima, Minoru, Reuscher, Michael G. & Fiege, Dieter, 2012, Ampharetidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Japan. Part I: The genus Ampharete Malmgren, 1866, along with a discussion of several taxonomic characters of the family and the introduction of a new identification tool, Zootaxa 3490, pp. 75-88 : 83-85

Ampharete lindstroemi Hessle, 1917

( Figs. 4 A–I; 6 D)

Ampharete lindstroemi Hessle 1917: 98 , plate 1, figure 5 — not Malmgren, 1867: 214 (nomen nudum); Holthe 1986 a: 41 –42, figure 13, map 12; Hartmann-Schröder 1996: 494; Parapar et al. in press: 6–7, figure 4.

Specimens examined. Off Sanriku, 38 ° 56.42 ’N, 141 ° 59.28 ’E – 38 ° 56.24 ’N, 141 ° 59.17 ’E, 213–214 m, Wakatakamaru, St. D 210 D, 10.2006 (1 af). Sagami Sea, 34 ° 20.2 ’N, 139 °07.9’E – 34 ° 20.6 ’N, 139 °08.1’E, 480 m, KT- 65 - 34, St. 8, 11.1965 (1 af). Off Toshima I., 34 ° 36.95 ’N, 139 ° 15.81 ’E – 34 ° 36.70 ’N, 139 ° 16.37 ’E, 316–328 m, KT-07- 31, St. L- 3-300, 11.2007 (1 af; SMF 21644 ); 34 ° 3.83 ’N, 139 ° 14.91 ’E – 34 ° 37.30 ’N, 139 ° 15.17 ’E, 372 – 342 m, KT-07- 31, St.L- 3-400, 11.2007 (1 cs, 1 af). Tsushima, 34 °16.0’N, 129 ° 31.5 ’E, 105 m, NSMT, St. 33, 8.1968 (1 cs).

Description. Length 7 to 17 mm, width 0.7 to 1.6 mm. Prostomium with middle lobe delimited by incision, without glandular ridges or eyes ( Fig. 4 A). Buccal tentacles without groove, densely covered with long and slender pinnae ( Fig. 4 B). 4 pairs of indistinctly annulated, cirriform branchiae in transverse lines in fused segments II + III, with 4 th pair usually displaced slightly caudally; branchial groups separated by wide median gap; branchiae of segment II in 2 nd outermost position, branchiae of segment III in outermost position, branchiae of segment IV in innermost position, branchiae of segment V in 2 nd innermost position, shifted slightly caudally ( Figs. 4 C, D; 6 D). 8–12 chaetae in fused segments II + III, slightly thicker and longer than regular notochaetae. Numbers on both sides differing by 1 in each specimen. Notopodia with regular capillary notochaetae from segment IV, present in 14 chaetigers ( Fig. 4 E). Neuropodial tori with uncini from segment VI, present in 12 thoracic uncinigers. Cirri and papillae in thoracic parapodia absent. Continuous ventral shields present to thoracic unciniger 10. Elevated or modified notopodia absent. 2 intermediate uncinigers. 10 abdominal uncinigers. Glandular pads above pinnules present in intermediate and abdominal uncinigers. Pinnules with small dorsal papilla ( Fig. 4 F). Pygidium with terminal anus, surrounded by 1 pair of lateral, cirriform anal cirri, inserted sub-terminally, and a ring of papillae ( Fig. 4 G). 1 pair of nephridial papillae in segment IV, located posterior to innermost branchiae. Thoracic and abdominal uncini with 9 teeth in 2 alternating rows over basal prow and rostral tooth ( Figs. 4 H, I). Faint reddish brown stripe along body on both sides, located between notopodia and tori in thorax, continuing in the abdominal glandular pads; prostomium, peristomium, and ventral shields also faintly pigmented.

Distribution. North Atlantic from Nova Scotia, New Foundland, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence over Iceland, the Irish Sea, to Spitsbergen and the North Sea as far east as the Kattegat; White Sea; North Pacific including the Japanese coast (105–480m). The species has been recorded from a wide depth range from 8 to 1940 m.