Stylopathes adinocrada ( Opresko, 2006 )

Assis, José Eriberto De, de Souza, José Roberto B., de Lima, Manuela M., de Lima, Gislaine V., Cordeiro, Ralf T. S. & Pérez, Carlos D., 2019, Association between deep-water scale-worms (Annelida: Polynoidae) and black corals (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) in the Southwestern Atlantic, Zoologia (e 28714) 36, pp. 1-13 : 4-5

Stylopathes adinocrada ( Opresko, 2006)

Figs 8–10

Antipathes columnaris ; Opresko, 1974: 101–115 (part). Stylopathes adinocrada Opresko, 2006: 123 .

Description. Colony highly pinnulated, monopodial, 19.5 cm long, with a central formation of fused pinnules forming a “worm run” harboring a polychaete ( Figs 8–9). Primary pinnules with subpinnulation and a dense pinnulation pattern, arranged in three rows, 10–20 mm long, with ca. 11 secondary pinnules per posterior primary one. Colonies pinnulated to fourth order. Subpinnules slightly more abundant on abpolypar side of posterior primary pinnules; proximal end of primary pinnules with denser pinnulation pattern. Spines small, 0.024 to 0.06 mm long, arranged in ca. 5 rows in lateral view ( Fig. 10), separated ca. 0.28 mm each other within same row. Polyps not seen (lost tissue).

Material examined. MOUFPE-CNI 113; 04°47’50”S; 036°11’01”W (Potiguar Basin), 423–461 m depth (1 colony).

Distribution. Bahamas, 134–708 m depth ( Opresko 2006), Surinam ( Opresko 2006) and northeastern Brazil (423–461 m depth, present study). Stylopathes (as S. columnaris ) was known to occur in the coast of the state of Pará ( Opresko 1974, Castro et al. 2006, Opresko 2006), but this is the first record of S. adinocrada for the Southwestern Atlantic.

Remarks. The studied material resemble the holotype, but was slightly larger, ca. 20 cm versus, ca. 17 cm, respectively. The pinnulation pattern was also similar but the spines were slightly smaller (up to 0.048 mm, rarely 0.06 mm) and more separated within a given row (i.e., up to 0.28 mm versus 0.1–0.2 mm the holotype). The type species of Stylopathes is S. columnaris , but two more species were included within the genus based on two morphotypes erroneously identified as S. columnaris ( Opresko 2006) . One of them, S. adinocrada , differs from S. columnaris mainly due to its scattered pinnulation pattern, although in both species the subpinules occur mainly in the distal portion of the primary pinnule, rarely covering the worm run ( Opresko 2006). Parahololepidella cf. greeffi and Tanacetipathes spp.

Symbiotic scale-worm Polynoidae Kinberg, 1856