Amphitritides bruneocomata ( Ehlers, 1887 )

Londoño-Mesa, Mario H., 2009, Terebellidae (Polychaeta: Terebellida) from the Grand Caribbean region 2320, Zootaxa 2320 (1), pp. 1-93 : 25-26

Amphitritides bruneocomata ( Ehlers, 1887)

Terebella bruneo-comata Ehlers, 1887:237–241 , Pl. 51, Figs 1–5 .

Terebella brunneo-comata, Perkins & Savage, 1975:55 .

Amphitritides bruneocomata, Monro, 1933:1071 .— Hartman, 1938:17; 1959:499.— Holthe, 1986b:124.— Arvanitidis & Koukouras, 1995:224.— Londoño-Mesa & Carrera-Parra, 2005:11–12 ; Figs 3 F-J.

Terebella panamena, Monro, 1933:1071–1072 (non Chamberlin, 1919)

Type material: Syntypes: MCZ 831 (many) Key West , Florida, 6.IX.1878, RV Blake Expeditions; 1.8–3.6m .

Additional material: Florida : AMNH 362 (1) Dry Tortugas, Florida, 1909. AMNH 935 (1) Dry tortugas, VI- VII.1909 . AMNH 895 (1) Loggerhead , Dry Tortugas, VI-VII.1915 . AMNH 2634 (1) Saba Bank (17°39'N 63°17'W), 1925. Gulf of Mexico: Yucatan State: TERE-4 (2) Ria Lagartos (21°34'05.1"N 88°13'58"W), 18.II1999 . TERE-4 RIA1 (2, 3) Ria Lagartos (21°37'16.7"N 88°10'32.6"W), 30.V.2005 . TERE-4 RIA4 (2) Ria Lagartos (21°37'34.6"N 88°00'23.5"W), 31.V.2005 . Mexican Caribbean : Quintana Roo State: UMML 22.1007 (1) Yucatan Channel (21°14'N 86°24'W), R/V “Pillsbury” Sta. 588; 14.III.1968 ; 175m. ECOSUR TERE-4 QR4 (1) Aventuras Beach (20°20'15.5"N 87°20'31.7"W), 21.III.1992 , rock in mixed bottom; 2 m. TERE-4 (1) Ixchen, Cozumel Island , 4.VI.1995 . TERE-4 E2 (1) Xahuayxol (18°30'15"N 87°45'32"W), 26.IX.1996 ; 1.5m. TERE-4 R5 (1) Nizuc Point , Cancun (21°02'11.7"N 86°46'44.2"W), 31.VIII.1997 . TERE- 4 (1) Camping , Contoy Island (21°30'08.4"N 86°47'45.3"W), 1.III.2001 , in dead Strombus gigas shell. TERE- 4 (1) Camping , Contoy Island (21°30'08.4"N 86°47'45.3"W), 3.III.2001 , in dead Strombus gigas shell; 3m. TERE-4 (1) Camping , Contoy Island (21°30'08.4"N 86°47'45.3"W), VI.1999 . Antilles : AMNH 841 (1) Reef at Light House, Guanica, Puerto Rico, 30.V.1915 .

Description: Best syntype with 157 segments, 85mm long, thorax 15mm long, 4mm wide. Body greenish to light brown; thorax swollen up to segment 19, thereafter tapering slightly. Tentacular membrane long, with thick margin, base long; eyespots absent. Many tentacles basally thinner, wider medially and distally; darker than body. Upper lip developed, base thick, border thin. Lower lip swollen, well developed, covered by membranous segment 1. Fourteen ventral shields, posteriorly decreasing in size, and becoming more compact; last thoracic segments and abdomen with ventral groove. Nephridial papillae well developed, tubular, on segments 3, 6–16, present anteriorly between noto- and neuropodium. Branchiae equal-sized, with short stalks. Notopodia flat, trapezoidal; 28 pairs of notopodia; chaetae of two lengths, alternating in two closed rows or fascicules; short chaetae with narrow limbation, distally oblique and serrated; long chaetae with wide limbs, distally oblique and serrated. Uncini from segment 5–10 in single rows; MF: 4–5:5–6:3–4, PP short, conical; PF absent, Oc almost straight; Cp with three series of teeth over long fang; USr concave; SrP short, poorly developed; no SrA; LSr convex; AP long, rounded; AF absent; Bs convex. Posterior thoracic and abdominal uncini resembling those from anterior thoracic region, but smaller. Pygidium smooth.

Staining pattern: Ventral shields stain deeply, but not the remaining structures.

Variations: Type specimens vary in thorax length (5–18mm) and width (2–5mm). Non-type specimens are 8.5–20mm long, and 3–6mm wide. The number of pairs of notopodia varies from 22–30. Similarly, the number of ventral shields varies from 12–17, but this variation is due to the abrupt decrease in the number of shields after segment 10, in some specimens. Nephridial papillae are always present in segment 6, reaching segments 14–17; nevertheless, one specimen from Florida has nephridial papillae until segment 26. The specimens from Contoy Island present some variations: tentacles dark brown at the base and the distal tips; many tubercles on the dorsal surface of first 10–15 thoracic segments, abundant eggs under dorsal integument on posterior thorax and abdomen; pygidium surrounded by 5–6 anal papillae. Tubes consisting of small coralline fragments and shells, measuring 5–7mm wide .

Discussion: Revision of the type specimens provides additional support for the validity of this species, as already indicated by Londoño-Mesa and Carrera-Parra (2005). Monro (1933) briefly described this species and recorded it from Galapagos, with 17 ventral shields, nephridial papillae on segments 3, 6–20, and 30 pairs of notopodia, which match the above variations. Thus, Monro (1933) regarded Terebella panamena Chamberlin, 1919 , described from Perico Island, Pacific Panama, as a junior synonym. Nevertheless, the type specimen of T. panamena has uncini in double rows arranged back to back, in contrast to the arrangement face to face in Amphitiritides. Therefore, Monro’s synonymy should be rejected because T. panamena belongs in another genus, possible new, since Terebella has uncini in double rows but arranged face to face. This species will be revised in a separate study.

On the other hand, variation in pigmentation of tentacles are common in terebellids belonging to the same species; Londoño-Mesa (2006) has indicated that this variation in Paraeupolymnia (now Lanicola ) may be due to environmental effects such as diet and type of bottom that could activate this polymorphism. Also, the presence of nephridial papillae until segment 26 and the abundant eggs show the reproduction stage of the specimen when collected. This could mean that the development and number of sexual nephridia is determined by the reproductive status of the animal.

Type locality: Key West, Southern Florida .

Distribution: Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Mexican Caribbean , Puerto Rico, and Pacific Panama. Intertidal to 175m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Uncini types: A. Avicular. B. Pecinate. MF: Main Fang. Sr: Subrostrum. USr: Upper Subrostrum. LSr: Lower Subrostrum. SrP: Subrostral Process. SrA: Subrostral Appendix. AP: Anterior Process. AF: Anterior Filament. Bs: Base. PP: Posterior Process. PF: Posterior Filament. Cp: Capitium. Oc: Occipitium. UOc: Upper Occipitium. LOc: Lower Occipitium.

FIGURE 2. Amaeana sp. 1., (USNM 90555): A. Ventral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Lateral View. D. Anterior ventral shields. E. Abdomen in ventral view. F. Thoracic notopodia from chaetiger 4. G. Fascicle of notochaetae from chaetiger 4. H. Abdominal notopodia from segment 16. I. Abdominal spines from segment 16. J. Pygidium. Scale bars: A,B,C,E: 1.7mm; D: 1.3mm; J: 3.8mm; F,H: 0.4; G: 0.7mm; I: 0.06mm.

FIGURE 3. Biremis blandi (Holotype 47976): A. Ventral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Anterior end in dorsal view. D.Anterior end in ventral view. E-F. Nephridial papillae. G. Neuropodia. H. Neuropodium from segment 16. I. Uncinus segment from 16. J. Abdomen in dorsal view and pygidium. Scale bars: A,B: 12mm; C,D: 9mm; E,F: 3.1mm; G: 1.3mm; H: 0.2mm; I: 0.02mm.

FIGURE 4. Enoplobranchus sanguineus (Syntype YPM 8909): A. Dorsal view. B. Anterior end in dorsal view. C. Anterior end in ventral view. D. Ventral view. E. Lateral view. F. Thoracic notopodia from segment 4. G. Notopodia from segment 5. H. Notopodia from mid-thoracic region. I. Abdominal notopodia. Scale bars: A,D,E: 5.5mm; B,C: 2.7mm; F: 0.4mm; G: 0.5mm; H: 0.5mm; I: 0.6mm.

FIGURE 5. Lysilla caribe sp. nov., (UMML 22.1000 2Cc): A. Ventral view. B. Fascicle of notochaetae from segment 4. C. Parapodia from segment 8. Polycirrus angeli sp. nov., (Holotype UANL 6490): D. Thoracic region in dorsal view. E. Thoracic region in ventral view. F. Fascicle of notochaetae from segment 8. G. Uncini from segment 8. Scale bars: A,D,E: 1mm; B,C,F: 0.5mm; G: 0.02mm.