Aglaophamus verrilli ( McIntosh, 1885 )

Murray, Anna, Wong, Eunice & Hutchings, Pat, 2015, Nephtyidae (Annelida: Phyllodocida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 414-436 : 419

Aglaophamus verrilli ( McIntosh, 1885)

( Fig. 3 )

Nephthys verrilli McIntosh, 1885: 163 –164, pl. 26, figs 6, 7, pl. 32A, fig. 8.

Nephthys dibranchis .— Hartman 1938: 146 (in part); Hartman 1940: 237 (in part); Rullier 1965: 182 –183; Stephenson et al. 1970: 470.

Aglaophamus dicirris Hartman, 1950: 122 –124, pl. 18, figs 1–18.

Aglaophamus verrilli .— Knox 1960: 115; Paxton 1974: 199, fig. 1; Rainer & Hutchings 1977: 316 –320, figs 7–11, 41, table 3; Dixon-Bridges et al. 2014: 515.

Material examined. Queensland, Lizard Island: AM W.46971 (3), QLD 822, Lagoon, 14°40'S, 145°27'E, reef rock, coll. P.A. Hutchings & P.B. Weate, 6 Jan 1975.

Description. Preserved specimens complete, 35–42 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, with up to 88 chaetigers, colourless. Body robust. Prostomium rectangular, at least 1.5 times longer than wide (with pharynx partially or fully everted), single small pair of widely separated eyes near posterior margin of prostomium ( Fig. 3 A). Pharynx with 10 pairs bifid terminal papillae and single short simple middorsal and midventral terminal papillae, 22 subterminal rows of papillae (7–8 per row), and proximally with numerous small verrucae ( Fig. 3 B–C). Noto- and neuropodia with enlarged, rounded, postacicular parapodial lamellae, projecting beyond tips of acicular lobes; neuropodial preacicular lamellae small, incised; parapodial acicular lobes acutely pointed; aciculae with curved tips ( Fig. 3 D). Interramal notopodial branchiae involute, present from chaetiger 7; interramal neuropodial branchiae involute, present from chaetiger 10 ( Fig. 3 D). Four types of chaetae: capillary and barred in preacicular position; spinose in both pre- and postacicular positions; and lyrate in postacicular position, present from chaetiger 4. Pygidial cirrus long, length of posteriormost 10 chaetigers, arising ventrally from anal ring,

Remarks. These specimens mostly agree with the descriptions of other Australian specimens of this species published by Paxton (1974) and Rainer & Hutchings (1977). There are a few differences, however, between these specimens and those described by Rainer & Hutchings (1977): the involute interramal neuropodial branchiae start from chaetiger 10, not 8, and the shape of the prostomium is rectangular, not square (with the pharynx partially or fully everted). This species has previously only been reported in Australia from Queensland, off Townsville and in Moreton Bay ( Stephenson et al. 1974; Rainer & Hutchings 1977). This is the first record for Lizard Island. The apparently wide geographical distribution of this species in a variety of habitats should perhaps be confirmed with molecular studies.

Habitat. In Australia, from sand, mud, or coral rubble, in shallow waters, to 30 m depth.

Distribution. New Zealand, India, North America to Panama, Australia (Queensland).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Aglaophamus verrilli, specimen stained with methyl blue, AM W. 46971. A. Anterior end, dorsal view; B. Anterior end, ventral view, pharynx everted; C. Anterior end, lateral view, pharynx everted; D. Anterior segments, lateral view. Abbreviations: ac = acicula, an = antenna, db = dorsal interramal branchiae, dc = dorsal cirrus, e = eye, p = palp, pol = postacicular parapodial lobe, pp = pharyngeal papillae, vb = ventral interramal branchiae, vc = ventral cirrus. Scale bars: A – D = 0.1 mm.