Terebella Linnaeus, 1767

Nogueira, João Miguel Matos, Hutchings, Pat & Carrerette, Orlemir, 2015, Terebellidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 484-576 : 498

Genus Terebella Linnaeus, 1767

Terebella . — Hutchings & Glasby 1988: 51 –52; Santos et al. 2010: 15 .

Type-species. Terebella lapidaria Linnaeus, 1767 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part frequently with eyespots; distal part shelf-like. Buccal tentacles all similar, but of different lengths, longer ones frequently longer than body. Peristomium forming lips; hood-like upper lip, usually as wide as long; small, swollen lower lip, usually restricted to oral area. Segment 1 reduced dorsally, frequently developed ventrally, with ventral lobe marginal to mouth. Lobes on anterior segments absent, except for ventral lobe of segment 1. Paired dorso-lateral arborescent branchiae present on segments 2–4 or on discontinuous segments, 3 pairs. Anterior segments with glandular, rectangular to trapezoidal, usually smooth to slightly crenulate mid-ventral shields; mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from termination of mid-ventral shields. Short and conical notopodia beginning from segment 4, extending for variable number of segments, frequently to posterior body. Notochaetae medially winged and distally serrated, and alimbate and serrated, frequently with blade at an angle, usually with transition of types of chaetae from anterior to mid-body. Neuropodia present from segment 5, as low ridges throughout. Neurochaetae throughout as shorthandled avicular uncini, arranged in completely intercalated to partially back to back double rows from segment 11 to posterior body. Nephridial and genital papillae usually present on segments 3 and from segment 6, for variable number of segments, usually between parapodial lobes. Pygidium smooth to crenulate ( Nogueira 2008; Santos et al. 2010).

Remarks. Terebella is a relatively large genus, reported worldwide, with more than 40 species, which differ in several characters which are not variable in other genera of Terebellidae , such as the number of pairs of notopodia, the types of notochaetae present along the body and the arrangement of the uncini in double rows ( Santos et al. 2010). The genus is characterized by the absence of lobes on anterior segments, with the frequent exception of a ventral lobe on segment 1, around the mouth; presence of three pairs of arborescent branchiae, sometimes on discontinuous segments; notopodia present from segment 4, extending usually for large number of segments, with medially winged, distally serrated, and alimbate serrated chaetae, frequently with transition of types of chaetae along the body; and neuropodia from segment 5, as low ridges throughout, with short-handled uncini, arranged in completely intercalated to partially back to back double rows from segment 11 until mid- to posterior body.

Four species of Terebella are known from Australian waters: T. maculata Hutchings & Glasby, 1988 , occurring off WA and NT, T. muliarrus Hutchings, 1993 , described from material from Houtman Abrolhos Islands, WA, T. pappus Hutchings & Murray, 1984 , occurring along western and southern Australian coast, and T. tantabiddycreekensis Hartmann-Schröder, 1980 , found in northern Australia and QLD, including Lizard Island. A fifth species, T. stenotaenia Grube, 1871 , was described from Moreton Bay, QLD, but the original description does not allow the confirmation even of the genus and type material could not be located by Hutchings & Glasby (1988), so we suggest this species is a nomen dubium. In the present study, we confirm the occurrence of T. tantabiddycreekensis in Lizard Island.