Pomatostegus stellatus ( Abildgaard, 1789 )

Bastida-Zavala, J. Rolando, McCANN, Linda D., Keppel, Erica & Ruiz, Gregory M., 2017, The fouling serpulids (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) from United States coastal waters: an overview, European Journal of Taxonomy 344, pp. 1-76 : 40-42

Pomatostegus stellatus ( Abildgaard, 1789)

Figs 7A , 8

Terebella stellata Abildgaard, 1789: 142–144 , pl. A, fig. 5A–B (type locality: West Indies, Caribbean

Sea).

Pomatostegus macrosoma Schmarda, 1861: 31–32 , pl. 21, fig. 182 (type locality: South of Jamaica). — Mörch 1863: 398–399 (comparison with P. stellatus ).

Pomatostegus brachysoma Schmarda, 1861: 32 , pl. 21, fig. 183 (type locality: Jamaica, on coral reef).

Pomatostegus stellatus tetrapoma Mörch, 1863: 397 (type locality: Saint Thomas, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea).

Pomatostegus stellatus fruticosa Mörch, 1863: 397–398 (type locality: Saint Thomas, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea).

Cymospira quadruplicata Krøyer in Mörch, 1863: 398 , pl. 11, fig. 13 (type locality: Saint Croix, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea, probably the first use of the name; according to Mörch 1863: 398 is P. stellatus pentapoma ).

Pomatostegus stellatus – Mörch 1863: 396–397, pl. 11, fig. 14 ( Saint Croix and Saint Thomas, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea). — Benedict 1887: 551, pl. 22, figs 32–35, pl. 23, figs 36–37 ( Jamaica and Cura ҫao, Caribbean Sea; shallow water). — Ehlers 1887: 296–300 (East Key, Florida; 24 m). — Treadwell 1902: 210 (Caballo Blanco Reef, Guanica Bay and Ensenada Honda, Puerto Rico). — Augener 1927: 79, textfig. 7 (Spaanse Water and Caracas Bay, Cura ҫao; on coral and mangrove roots). — Treadwell 1928: 483 (near Saba Island, Antilles). — Augener 1934: 118 (Los Testigos Archipelago, Venezuela, and Tagduga, now Taganga, Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean; intertidal to 11 m). — Rioja 1958: 293–296, figs 92–100 (Mexican Caribbean: Chancanab Lagoon, Cozumel). — Zibrowius 1970: 13–14, pl. 3, figs 16–20 (Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil; 16–48 m; sand and coral debris). — ten Hove & San Martín 1995: 17 (de la Juventud Island, Cuba; 1–6 m; on mollusk shells, mangrove roots, rocks, corals and wood debris). — Perkins 1998: 95 (checklist of shallow-water polychaetes from Florida). — Dueñas 1999: 14 (Santa Marta, Tayrona National Park, Providencia Island, Cartagena Bay and Cispatá Bay, Colombia). — Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 815– 817,figs 3b, 5g–q, 6a–d(San Juan, Puerto Rico; de la Juventud Island, Cuba; eastern Mexico:Alacranes Key, Ría Lagartos and San Felipe, Yucatán; Contoy Island, Nizuc Point, Nichupté Lagoon, Xcacel, Xcayal, Cozumel Island, Xahuayxol and Chinchorro Bank, Quintana Roo; intertidal to 43 m; under rocks with algae, seagrass and sponges, corals and on cement pier covered by Millepora spp.).

Pomatostegus macrosoma – Mörch 1863: 398–399 (comparison with P. stellatus ). — Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 816 (synonymy).

Pomatostegus brachysoma – Mörch 1863: 400 (comparison with P. stellatus ). — Bush 1910: 498–500 ( Dominica Island, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea). — Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 816 (synonymy).

Pomatostegus stellatus tetrapoma – Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 816 (synonymy).

Pomatostegus stellatus fruticosa – Rullier 1974: 72, fig. 9A–I (Batabanó Bay, Cuba; 2 m; in sponge). — Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 816 (synonymy).

Pomatostegus quadruplicatus – Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 816 (synonymy).

Material examined

One specimen: BB (1) Aug. 2004.

Diagnosis

Tube missing. Opercular peduncle spotted, with wide wings ( Fig. 7A ). Operculum chitinous, forming three concentric plates, joined by central hollow column ( Fig. 7A ); margin of plates with sharp spines. Collar with “ Spirobranchus ” chaetae, coarsely serrated on subapical section.

Taxonomic remarks

Several publications indicate that Pomatostegus stellatus is widely distributed ( Zibrowius 1970; Imajima 1977, 1982; Imajima & ten Hove 1984, 1986; Nishi 1995b; Bastida-Zavala 2008); however, some authors ( Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a; ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009) suggest that its distribution could be more limited, as the larvae are short lived and there is very little evidence of large scale dispersal through fouling ( Kupriyanova et al. 2001). Therefore, until further analysis, it is better to distinguish three species geographically: P. stellatus is limited to the tropical western Atlantic, while P. kroyeri Mörch, 1863 is limited to the tropical eastern Pacific region and P. actinoceras Mörch, 1863 is limited to the Indo-West Pacific ( ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009).

Ecology

Intertidal to 48 m. On mangrove roots, mollusk shells, corals, sponges, under rocks, wood debris and on a cement pier covered by the coral Millepora spp. ( ten Hove & San Martín 1995; Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a).

Distribution

Caribbean Sea, from Florida to southern Brazil; in the Gulf of Mexico, it is only recorded from Alacranes Key ( Ehlers 1887; Zibrowius 1970; ten Hove & San Martín 1995; Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a). In this study, only one specimen of Pomatostegus stellatus was found on a fouling plate from Biscayne Bay, Florida ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

Fig. 7. Serpulids from United States fouling plates. Pomatostegus stellatus. A. Operculum, from Biscayne Bay, Florida (SERC-118825). – Protula balboensis. B–D. Tube, body and branchial crown, white arrow shows detail of rounded processes, Biscayne Bay, Florida (SERC-118825). E. Body of live adult from Smithsonian Institution station in Bocas del Toro, Panama (photo by Betel Martínez- Guerrero). – Pseudochitinopoma occidentalis. F. Operculum, Puget Sound, Washington (SERC- 33385R). – Pseudovermilia occidentalis. G. Operculum, Biscayne Bay, Florida (SERC-118450). – Salmacina huxleyi. H–I. Tubes, body and collar chaetae, Biscayne Bay, Florida (SERC-118449). – S. tribranchiata. J. Body, Galapagos Island (SERC-233687).

Fig. 8. Distribution of serpulids (Pomatostegus, Protula, Pseudochitinopoma and Pseudovermilia spp.) from United States fouling plates (closed symbols) and literature records (open symbols).