Onuphis eremita oculata Hartman, 1951

Çinar, Melih Ertan, 2009, Alien polychaete species (Annelida: Polychaeta) on the southern coast of Turkey (Levantine Sea, eastern Mediterranean), with 13 new records for the Mediterranean Sea, Journal of Natural History 43 (37 - 38), pp. 2283-2328 : 2297-2299

Onuphis eremita oculata Hartman, 1951

( Figure 4 ) Onuphis eremita oculata Hartman 1951: 52–54 , figs 1,2; Fauchald 1982: 40–41, fig. 12b.

Material examined

ESFM-POL/2005-105 , 10 September 2005, I skenderun Bay, D 13, 36°33′22″ N, 35°34′17″ E, 10 m, muddy sand, 46 specimens ; ESFM-POL/05-294 , 10 September 2005, I skenderun Bay, D 14, 36°32′51″ N, 35°34′37″ E, 25 m, muddy sand, 5 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-1406 , 17 September 2005, Mersin Bay, G 11, 36°45′47″ N, 34°51′54″ E, 5 m, mud, 26 specimens .

Description

Largest specimen incomplete, 10 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, with 35 chaetigers. Body elongated, slightly enlarged in middle part, dark brownish pigmentation on anterior part (in first 25 chaetigers); posterior and lateral parts of peristomium strongly pigmented, posterior part of dorsum of each anterior chaetiger with transverse dark brown pigmentation; prostomium pale brownish with dark brown spots on anterior and posterior parts; dark brown spots (one or two, rarely three) also present in antennae, palps and frontal lips; ceratophores of antennae and palps with circular brown pigmentations ( Figure 4A ). Prostomium anteriorly pointed, with a pair of subulate frontal lips and a pair of ventral upper lips; oval, massive, fused at base. Antennae placed in a row on anterior part of prostomium. Median antenna extending back to chaetiger 7; ceratophore with 19 rings, ceratostyle twice as long as ceratophore. Lateral antennae extending back to chaetiger 16; ceratophores with 25 rings, ceratostyles two or three times longer than ceratophores. Palps placed in anterolateral part of prostomium, extending back to chaetiger 2; ceratophores with 18 rings, ceratostyles shorter than ceratophores. Eyes, small, spherical, located next to palps ( Figure 4B ). Peristomium slightly incised anteriorly; with two antennae, filiform, located dorsolateral part of peristomium, extending back to anterior part of chaetiger 1. First two chaetigers larger than remaining ones. Branchiae present from chaetiger 1 to end of fragment; first 24 chaetigers having simple branchiae; branchiae with two filaments between chaetigers 24 and 27, and three filaments after chaetiger 27. Ventral cirri cirriform on first six chaetigers. Digitiform postchaetal lobes distinct from chaetiger 1 to 24. Chaetigers 1 and 3 having four tridentate pseudocompound hooks with blunt hood and five capillary chaetae; blade of hooks 75–120 µm long ( Figure 4C ). Subacicular hooks bidentate, first present on chaetiger 8 ( Figure 4D ). Middle parapodia with two subacicular hooks and eight limbate chaetae. Pectinate chaetae flat, distally

transverse, with 10 teeth ( Figure 4E ). Maxillary formula MI: 1+1, MII: 7+6, MIII: 8+0, MIV: 7+8, MV: 1+1.

Remarks

Onuphis eremita oculata differs from the native species O. eremita Audouin and Milne Edwards, 1833 in having eyes on the anterior part of the prostomium. The Mediterranean specimens coincide with the original description of O. eremita oculata .

Distribution

This species was only known from the Gulf of Mexico, western Atlantic ( Hartman 1951). As it was found near harbours in I skenderun and Mersin Bays, it could have been introduced to the area by ballast waters of ships. This species is new to the Mediterranean fauna.

Figures

Figure 4. Onuphis eremita oculata: (A) anterior part, lateral view (ESFM-POL/2005-105), (B) prostomium, dorsal view, (C) tridentate pseudocompound hooks and capillary chaetae on chaetiger 1, (D) subacicular hook on chaetiger 10, (E) pectinate chaeta on chaetiger 10. Scale bars: (A) 1 mm, (B) 0.25 mm, (C) 87 µm, (D) 40 µm, (E) 30 µm.