Leodice calcaricola Bergamo, Carrerette, Zanol & Nogueira, 2018

Souza, Thaís Kananda Da Silva, Zapff, Luana, Christoffersen, Martin Lindsey & Zanol, Joana, 2024, Taxonomy of Leodice Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida, Eunicidae) from Northeast Brazil (Tropical Southwest Atlantic Ocean) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5492 (2), pp. 151-175 : 160-162

Leodice calcaricola Bergamo, Carrerette, Zanol & Nogueira, 2018

( Fig. 4 )

Leodice calcaricola Bergamo, Carrerette, Zanol & Nogueira, 2018: 378 .

Material examined. NON-TYPE material Paraíba State: 11 specimens analyzed. One complete and three incomplete specimens, station 01 (POLY-UFPB-2020); one complete and one incomplete specimen, station 04 ( POLY-UFPB –2021; POLY-UFPB –2022); one incomplete specimen, station 27 ( POLY-UFPB –2025); one complete specimen, station 43 ( POLY-UFPB –2023); two complete specimens, station 66 ( POLY-UFPB –2024); one complete specimen, station 82 ( POLY-UFPB –2026). Description. Four incomplete specimens with 38–74 chaetigers and seven complete specimens with 40–57 chaetigers. Total length of complete specimens 6–20 mm, L10 1.5–3 mm, W10 without parapodia 0.5–1 mm .

Prostomium bilobed, truncate anteriorly, with conspicuous ventral buccal lips, dorsally inflated, shorter and narrower than peristomium, with shallow median groove, visible dorsally and ventrally. Prostomial appendages arranged in semi-circle, evenly spaced ( Fig. 4A, B ). Palpophores and ceratophores short and ring-shaped, not articulated. Ceratostyles and palpostyles tapering in distal half, with regular moniliform articulations, distally drop-shaped ( Fig. 4A, B, C ). Median antennae longest and palps shortest; palps with 3–7 articulations, reaching middle of first peristomial ring to second peristomial ring; lateral antennae with 4–14 articulations, reaching chaetiger 1–4; median antenna with 8–19 articulations, reaching chaetiger 3–9. Pair of eyes present, posterior to palps and lateral to lateral antennae.

Peristomium cylindrical, laterally longer than medially ( Fig. 4A, B, C ); dorsal anterior margin covering base of median and lateral antennae. Ventrolateral lips conspicuously inflated. First peristomial ring about ¾ of total peristomium length, separation between rings visible dorsally, ventrally, and laterally. Peristomial cirri tapering to digitiform tips with 2–4 articulations, almost reaching anterior edge of first peristomial ring.

Maxillary formula 1+1, (5–7)+(8–10), (7–8)+0, (6–7)+(9–11), 1+1. MxI forceps shaped with not extended falcal, outer edge straight, rectangular; basal inner edge a curvature where most posterior region of MxII fits. MxIII partially ventral to MxII, anterior end part of distal arch with left MxIV. Left attachment lamellae tapering on left side, right lamella semi-circular in shape. MxIV left with teeth decreasing in size towards the innermost portion. MxV wide, with a small prominent tooth. MxVI absent. MxIV left attachment lamella semi-circular shape, tapering towards the right portion, right MxIV attachment lamella semi-circular in shape, tapering towards left portion.

Branchiae pectinate, present in less than 55% of the total number of chaetigers, starting from chaetiger 5–7 to chaetiger 12–24. Branchiae initially with single filament. Maximum number of branchial filaments 1–4 in chaetiger 10–14. Central axis longer than branchial filaments and both longer than notopodial cirri where best developed.

Chaetal lobes truncated along the body, aciculae emerging dorsally. Prechaetal lobes low transverse folds. Postchaetal lobes rounded, almost as long as chaetal lobe.

Anterior notopodial cirri tapering distally to pointed tips, with 2–3 articulations. Ventral cirri longer than chaetal lobes in all parapodia, robust, digitiform until chaetiger 3–4, from chaetiger 4–6 basally inflated with tapering to digitiform tips until chaetiger 16–30, after this, inflated base decreases in size.

Limbate chaetae slender, distally tapered, longer than other chaetae. Pectinate chaetae, flat, 8–10 teeth, one marginal tooth longer and thicker than other teeth ( Fig. 4G ). Compound falcigers chaetae bidentate present along the whole body and tridentate from chaetiger 23. Anterior bidentate compound with article tapering from proximal to distal end; triangular proximal tooth directed laterally, distal tooth directed laterally or obliquely, both similar in size ( Fig. 4D ); articles stouter towards the posterior end, with wider guards, triangular proximal tooth directed laterally, larger than distal tooth. Tridentate compound falcigers with small third apical tooth directed obliquely upwards ( Fig. 4H ). Aciculae 1–2 aciculae per parapodia, yellow; anterior ones with mucronate tips, tapering or blunt; median bifid, few slightly curved ( Fig. 4E, F ); posterior bifid, more curved than those of median parapodia. Subacicular hooks single, yellow, tridentate, present from chaetiger 14–22; guards covering proximal and first distal teeth ( Fig. 4E ).

Pygidium with two pairs of pygidial cirri; dorsal cirri long, with 6–7 regular articulations, about six times longer than ventral; ventral pygidial cirri not articulated.

Distribution. Leodice calcaricola was recently described from the coast of Paraíba state, based on specimens collected intertidally to depths of 2–3 m ( Bergamo et al. 2018). The present record expands bathymetric distribution of the species to 33 m deep ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks. The specimens described here share with Leodice calcaricola Bergamo, Carrerette, Zanol & Nogueira, 2018 articulated antennae and moniliform palps, articulated peristomial cirri, pectinate branchiae present in less than 55% of total number of segments, yellow tridentate subacicular hooks, and falcigers compound chaetae bidentate and tridentate along body. The specimens analyzed resemble the original description of L. calcaricola in most of its characteristics, except for 1. maximum number of branchial filaments, 1–3 filaments original description versus 1–4 filaments in our specimens; 2. presence of anadont and heterodont pectinate chaetae in the original description versus only heterodont pectinate chaetae in our specimens; and 3. paired subacicular hooks in some parapodia in the original description versus single subacicular hooks in our specimens.

Figures

FIGURE 1. General map of the stations of the Marine Algae project along the Continental Shelf of the State of Paraíba where Leodice species have been recorded.

FIGURE 4. Leodice calcaricola POLY-UFPB–2020. A—anterior end, dorsal view; B—anterior end, ventral view; C—anterior end, lateral view; D—parapodium 10, compound falcigers chaetae; E—parapodium 23, compound falcigers chaetae, subacicular hook, aciculae, notopodial cirri and ventral cirri; F—parapodium 20, aciculae; G—parapodium 45, compound falcigers chaetae and pectinae chaetae; H—parapodium 31, compound falcigers chaetae.