Pista Malmgren, 1866

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 : 509-510

Genus Pista Malmgren, 1866

Pista .— Hutchings & Glasby 1988: 38; Santos et al. 2010: 32 –33; Nogueira et al. 2011: 3 .

Type-species. Amphitrite cristata Müller, 1776 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part sometimes with eyespots; distal part shelf-like. Buccal tentacles usually much shorter than body. Peristomium forming lips; hood-like upper lip, usually as wide as long; small, swollen lower lip, restricted to oral area. Segment 1 reduced dorsally, with lobes of variable size and position. Lobes of variable size and position present on following anterior segments, usually until segment 4, sometimes even more posteriorly. Paired dorso-lateral arborescent, pectinate or plumous branchiae present from segment 2, typically 2 pairs, on segments 2 and 3, rarely a single pair or 3 pairs. Anterior segments with glandular, rectangular to trapezoidal, smooth to slightly corrugated mid-ventral shields; mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from termination of mid-ventral shields. Short and conical notopodia beginning from segment 4, typically extending for 17 segments, until segment 20. Winged notochaetae in both rows, wings always conspicuous, frequently broadly-winged, as broad as width of shaft or broader. Neuropodia present from segment 5, as low ridges until termination of notopodia, as raised pinnules thereafter. Neurochaetae throughout as avicular uncini, arranged in partially to completely intercalated double rows from segment 11 until termination of notopodia; at least some anterior segments with long-handled uncini, frequently until segment 10, or until termination of notopodia; uncini with dorsal button at mid-length of base, conspicuous at least until termination of notopodia, and crest with several transverse rows of secondary teeth. Nephridial and genital papillae usually present on segments 3 and 6–7, respectively, the latter posterior and dorsal to notopodia. Pygidium smooth to slightly crenulate ( Santos et al. 2010; Nogueira et al. 2011).

Remarks. Pista has been reported worldwide and more than 70 species are known, of which 14 are known to occur in Australian waters ( Hutchings & Glasby 1988; Hutchings 1997a, 2007). This genus is characterized by the presence of lobes on anterior segments, two pairs of branchiae, 17 pairs of notopodia, on segments 4–20, bearing winged chaetae, usually broadly-winged, and long-handled uncini at least on some anterior segments. Hutchings & Glasby (1988) provide a table of the characters to distinguish among Australian species, but since then three additional Australian species have been described, P. kimberliensis Hutchings & Glasby, 1990 , from NW Australia, P. gwoyarrma Hutchings, 1997b , from Darwin Harbour, NT, and P. torquata Hutchings, 2007 , from Tasmania.

Smith (1992), Santos et al. (2010) and Nogueira et al. (2011) discussed the most important characters to distinguish among the species in this genus, which include the morphology of the lobes on anterior segments, branchiae and uncini, distribution of long-handled uncini, and distribution and position of nephridial and genital papillae.

Out of the 14 species of Pista recorded for Australian waters, seven are known from the GBR or other reefal areas in Australia, P. curtiuncinata Hartmann-Schröder, 1981 (from NW Australia & GBR), P. pectinata Hutchings, 1977 (from NW Australia & southern GBR), P. tri na Hutchings, 1977 (from Moreton Bay, southern QLD), P. trunca Hutchings, 1977 (from Moreton Bay, southern QLD & GBR), P. violacea Hartmann-Schröder, 1984 (from NT & WA), P. typha Grube, 1878 (from GBR & southern QLD), and P. kimberliensis Hutchings & Glasby, 1990 (from NW Australia). In the present study we found three new species of Pista . The types of all these species were examined and compared with the new species from Lizard Island. No species of Pista have previously been recorded from Lizard Island or from the northern GBR.