Eupolymnia Verrill, 1900

Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos, Harris, Leslie, Hutchings, Pat & Fukuda, Marcelo Veronesi, 2011, Four terebellines (Polychaeta, Terebellidae) with problematic taxonomic histories, Zootaxa 2995, pp. 1-26 : 20

Genus Eupolymnia Verrill, 1900 , emended

Type species: Amphitrite nesidensis Delle Chiaje, 1828 .

Diagnosis: Three pairs of branchiae on segments 2–4. Ventrolateral lobes on segments 1–3 or 1–4, lobes on segment 1 around lower lip, lobes on segments 2–4 placed progressively more laterally, usually progressively shorter. Usually 17 pairs of notopodia, beginning from segment 4, with narrowly winged notochaetae. Neuropodia from segment 5, with short-handled uncini throughout; uncini in double rows on segments 10 or 11–20. Nephridial papillae usually on segment 3, genital papillae on variable number of segments and in variable position.

Remarks. The generic diagnosis is here emended in regard to the presence of lobes on segment 1 and also to specify more precisely the position of the lobes on segments 2–4, which are usually said to be “lateral”, but in fact are ventrolateral. The only lobes that could be, in some species, correctly considered as laterally placed are those on segment 4. Lobes on segment 1 have previously been considered as peristomial ( McHugh 1995) or on the “tentacular membrane” ( Londoño-Mesa 2009), although this latter name is sometimes used as a synonym of the upper lip and at other times of the prostomium (see Nogueira et al. 2010).

In regard to the number of pairs of notopodia, most species have 17 pairs of notopodia on segments 4–20, however E. crassicornis ( Schmarda, 1861) was described as having 25 pairs of notopodia, indicating that they are present on segments 4–28. Augener (1925) reviewed the holotype of E. crassicornis . It was in poor state of preservation, completely dry, with the sides adhering to each other. Augener was unable to count either the number of segments with capillary chaetae or the number of segments with branchiae. Despite this, he doubted Schmarda’s count of 25 pairs of notopodia and stated that there should be 17 pairs. Even if more material from the type-locality is examined, it seems unlikely this problem will be solved, because Schmarda’s description is not detailed enough to characterize this taxon. Therefore we suggest E. crassicornis should be declared an indeterminable taxon.