Flabelliderma ockeri, Salazar-Vallejo, 2007

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2007, Revision of Flabelliderma Hartman, 1969 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae), Journal of Natural History 41 (33 - 36), pp. 2037-2061 : 2054-2056

Flabelliderma ockeri n. sp.

( Figure 6 )

Flabelligera essenbergae Hartman 1961, p 118 –120, Plate 22, Figures 1 , 2 , Plate 23, Figures 1–4 (partim). Flabelliderma essenbergae: Hartman 1969, p 287 –289, 6 text figures; Light 1978, p 685 –686, Figures 1–4 (partim).

Type material

Eastern Pacific Ocean: holotype (LACM-AHF-536) and one paratype (LAMNH-537) collected in the intertidal, Arch Rock, south of Corona del Mar , California, RV Velero III, Stat. 1443 (33 ° 359000N, 117 ° 519400W), 0.5 m depth, 19 December 1941 , rocks, eelgrass beds (paratype in two fragments, one segment originally separated for illustrations by Hartman); 14 paratypes ( ECOSUR, MNHN) collected in Macrocystis holdfasts, off Goleta sewer outfall pipe (34 ° 24.69N, 119 ° 44.59W), Santa Barbara, California, 12 m depth, 18 February 2004, S. Anderson, coll.

Additional material

One specimen ( LACM-AHF) collected in the intertidal, Laguna Beach , 6 December 1938, O. Hartman, coll. ; three specimens ( LACM-AHF) collected at Rocky Point, Palos Verdes , California, November 1961, R. Zimmer (one dissected already, anterior end extracted for this description) ; one specimen ( LACM-AHF) collected in Federal Breakwater, Los Angeles Harbor , 10 m, 12 October 1987, under rocks, M. K. Wicksten, coll.

Description

Holotype (LACM-AHF-536) complete, pale brown, fusiform ( Figure 6A ). Body densely papillated, papillae grouped in large subrectangular blunt tubercles dorsally (about 10–12 per segment), or clavate tubercles laterally, smaller ventrally. Papillae long, covering noto- and neurochaetae, with adherent sediment particles ( Figure 6B ). It is 18 mm long, 4 mm wide (6 mm including notopodia), cephalic cage 2 mm long, 32 chaetigers (notopodia and neuropodia in chaetiger 2, and left neuropodium 21, removed).

Anterior end slightly damaged in neotype (anterior end and branchial structure based on a non-type specimen). Prostomium low cone with four dark brown eyes. Caruncle very wide basally, projected dorsally. Palps large, pale, tips darker; palp bases rounded, small. Branchial groups with about 60 filaments each; each filament about as long as palps, size decreases ventrally. Nephridial lobes lost, scars small, placed towards the dorsal margin, separated from the branchiae ( Figure 6C ).

Cephalic cage chaetae one-ninth as long as body length, or half as long as body width (excluding notopodia); chaetae densely covered by papillae, difficult to count. Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger with long papillae (smooth after their removal in neotype). Anterior notopodia without especially long papillae. Chaetigers 1–3 of about the same length. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt, neurohooks present from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes not seen.

Parapodia well developed, placed on the body corners ( Figure 6D ); median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodial lobes funnel-shaped, distally widened or ovoid with rough surface. Dorsal sediment tubercles smaller than notopodial lobes, of variable size; stiff, made by closely packed papillae and sediment. Some large vesicular papillae projecting out from the notopodial lobe. Neuropodia shorter lobes, masked by elongate papillae almost completely covering the neurohooks.

Median notochaetae arranged in a transverse short line; multiarticulated capillaries with articles poorly defined basally and medially, better defined distally, rapidly increasing their length, five to six per bundle, as long as half body width. Neurochaetae multiarticulated hooks from chaetiger 2, mostly a single hook per ramus. Handle articulation with two longer articles medially, proximal one less than half as long as next one, more distal articles shorter. Crest darker, wider medially then tapering, acute, markedly curved distally ( Figure 6E ). Posterior end tapering; pygidium with anus terminal, without anal cirri.

Variation

Paratypes ( ECOSUR) were 13–23 mm long (mean 18 mm), 4–6 mm wide (mean 5.5 mm), with 28–32 chaetigers (mean 30). Dorsal tubercles, making approximately a single line per segment, 7–13 (mean 8). When they are more abundant, they are thinner but always have wide bases.

Discussion

Flabelliderma ockeri n. sp. is the only species in the genus that forms stiff, widely-based, dorsal sandy tubercles.

Etymology

This species is named after Mr. David Ocker, in recognition of his long-standing generous support to polychaete workers, most having come from Chetumal. Thanks to his support, many extremely productive research visits have been made to Los Angeles.

Type locality

Corona del Mar , California .

Distribution

Southern California, low intertidal in rocky bottoms, in seagrass root masses, kelp holdfasts, or under rocks up to 12 m depth. The dead kelp holdfast, where some specimens were taken from, was 3–4 months old (S. Anderson, personal communication, 2004).

Figures

Figure 1. Flabelliderma papillosa (Essenberg, 1922) n. comb. (A) Neotype (LACM-AHF 2187) in dorsal view; (B) neoparatype (LACM-AHF), anterior end in dorsal view; (C) another paraneotype, eversible anterior end in frontal view; branchiae and palps removed; (D) same, a complete median chaetiger in frontal view; (E) tip of neurohook from a median chaetiger. Scale bars: 1.5 mm (A); 1.0 mm (B); 0.5 mm (C, D); 90 Mm (E).

Figure 2. Flabelliderma berkeleyorum n. sp. (A) Holotype (USNM-40475) in dorsal view; (B) same, anterior end in dorsal view; (C) paratype, eversible anterior end in frontal view (palps and branchiae lost); (D) holotype, close-up of some median chaetigers, in dorsal view, showing the dorsal tubercles and notopodial lobes; (E) paratype, median parapodia showing the regularly constricted notopodial lobes; (F) paratype, tip of neurohook from a median parapodia. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.4 mm (B); 0.25 mm (C, E); 0.33 mm (D); 40 Mm (F).

Figure 6. Flabelliderma ockeri n. sp. (A) Holotype (LACM-AHF-536), dorsal view; (B) same, close-up of the anterior end, dorsal view; (C) non-type specimen (ECOSUR), eversible anterior end in frontal view, branchiae and palps removed; (D) median chaetiger from paratype (LACM-AHF-537), showing globular papillae in the notopodial lobe; (E) tip of a neurohook from a median parapodium, without cuticle or papillae. Scale bars: 2 mm (A); 1 mm (B); 0.4 mm (C); 0.8 mm (D); 60 Mm (E).