Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra Hartmann-Schröder, 1991

Aguado, M. Teresa, Murray, Anna & Hutchings, Pat, 2015, Syllidae (Annelida: Phyllodocida) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 35-60 : 47

Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra Hartmann-Schröder, 1991

( Figs 5 C, 6)

Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra Hartmann-Schröder, 1991: 27 , figs 26–29.

Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra .— San Martín & Hutchings 2006: 322, figs 55A–F.

Material examined. AM W.44766, MI QLD 2399; AM W.44740, MI QLD 2400, on SEM; AM W.44771, MI QLD 2395.

Description. Longest specimen 5 mm long, approximately 50 chaetigers, some red-brown spots dorsally and laterally and one transverse line per segment of same colour. Dorsal and ventral surfaces covered by numerous, scattered, rounded papillae ( Figs 6 A–B). Prostomium oval, 4 eyes arranged in open trapezoidal pattern; lateral antennae inserted near anterior margin, median antenna similar to lateral. Palps folded ventrally ( Fig. 6 A). Peristomium slightly shorter than subsequent segments; tentacular cirri similar, thicker and larger than antennae ( Fig. 6 B). Dorsal cirri inflated, alternating in position between laterodorsal and lateral ( Fig. 5 C); laterodorsally located ones large and inflated, while those arising more laterally smaller and less inflated ( Figs 6 A–C). Parapodia sub-rectangular, with several distal papillae. Anterior parapodia with 8–12 compound, heterogomph chaetae with long curved, bidentate blades, with dorsoventral gradation in length of blades within fascicle ( Figs 6 D–E). Midbody and posterior parapodia with 7–10 compound chaetae similar in shape, but with shorter blades, all of same length or with slight dorsoventral gradation in length within fascicle ( Figs 6 F–I). Posterior parapodia with one dorsal unidentate simple chaeta, and one ventral bidentate sigmoid simple chaeta. Anterior parapodia with 3 aciculae, distally rounded, some distally curved; 1–2 aciculae on posterior parapodia. Pharynx wide, through 5 segments; pharyngeal tooth set back from anterior ring of the pharynx. Proventricle large, through 5 segments.

Remarks. The shape of the dorsal and ventral simple chaetae was not properly described in previous descriptions. Dorsal cirri are not leaf-shaped, as previously described for the holotype, an artefact possibly caused by distortion due to mounting the type specimen on a slide for examination by compound microscopy. First report for Lizard Island.

Habitat. Coralline sand, intertidally.

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Figures

FIGURE 6. SEM. Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra AM W. 44740. A. Anterior end, lateral view; B. Detail, anterior end, lateral view; C. Mid-body segments, lateral view; D. Anterior chaetiger; E. Anterior chaetae; F – G. Mid-body chaetae; H – I. Posterior chaetae.

FIGURE 5. A. Exogone africana AM W. 45201, dorsal view; B. Prosphaerosyllis longipapillata AM W. 45202, dorsal view; C. Paraopisthosyllis phyllocirra AM W. 44771, dorsal view; D. Megasyllis heterosetosa AM W. 44780, dorsal view; E. Megasyllis heterosetosa under fluorescent green light, dorsal view; F. P arasphaerosyllis indica AM W. 44422, pygidium, dorsal view. Scale bars: F = 50 µm.