Psammolyce flava Kinberg, 1856

Cruz-Gómez, Christopher, 2022, Pelogeniinae Chamberlin, 1919 (Annelida, Sigalionidae) from the Grand Caribbean Region, European Journal of Taxonomy 807, pp. 1-59 : 51-55

Psammolyce flava Kinberg, 1856

Figs 23–24

Psammolyce flava Kinberg, 1856: 388

Psammolyce flava – Kinberg 1858: 31, pl. 9 fig. 44, pl. 10 fig. 65. — Pettibone 1997: 4, figs 1–3 (syn., redescr.).

Material examined

MEXICO • 1 incomplete spec.; Yucatán shelf; 23°04′ N, 89°56′ W; O/V Justo Sierra; depth 215 m; 27 Nov. 2012; Sara B. Balam leg.; ECOSUR-P3231 .

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • 1 incomplete spec., 43 segments, 1.7 cm long, 1.1 cm to segment 30, 0.6 cm wide; Florida; 26°15′ N, 78°48′ W; R/V Gerda, Stn 927; depth 476 m; 29 Sep. 1967; UMML 6720-927 .

VENEZUELA • 1 incomplete spec., 45 segments, 2.4 cm long, 1.5 cm to segment 30, 0.6 cm wide; off Los Rayitos Beach; 10°55′ N, 66°18′ W; R/V Pillsbury, Stn 739; depth 257 m; 23 Jul. 1968; UMML 6806-739 .

Description (non-type specimen ECOSUR-P3231)

BODY. Pale orange, long, broad ( Fig. 23A ); 89 segments, 9 cm long, 1.8 cm to segment 30, 0.9 cm wide. Middorsal line visible, not covered with foreign particles ( Fig. 23E–F ). Venter partially covered only with globular papillae ( Fig. 23G ).

PROSTOMIUM. Spherical. Two pairs of eyes, anterior eyes larger, inserted antero-ventrally. Lateral antennae short, slender, with short bulbous ceratophores, styles shorter, dorsally fused with tentacular segment, partially covered by median antennal ceratophore ( Fig. 23D ). Median antenna with bulbous ceratophore, twice as long as prostomium, with transverse ridges; style slender, long, 6× as long as ceratophore. Middorsal lobe of segment II absent. First segment directed anteriorly; fused with tentacular segment; biramous, chaetae simple verticillate. Dorsal tentacular cirri missing, ventral cirrus 2 × as long as neuropodia length; right palp lost, left palp long, reaching segment seven; with inner palpal sheath ( Fig. 23C ).

ELYTRA. First anterior elytra missing, posterior elytra oval with one medial process and two lateral processes ( Fig. 24D ), elytral surface with flat and pedunculate globular papillae, elytral margin with short or long dendritic papillae ( Fig. 24H–K ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT II ( Fig. 23H ). Notopodia conical, papillated, short, half as long as neuropodia, notopodial flange leaf-shaped. With up to 150 simple verticillate notochaetae, shortest ones ⅓ as long as notopodia, longest ones 4 × as long ( Fig. 23I ). Neuropodia conical, papillate, larger than notopodia; with a distal slender appendage, shorter than neuropodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers; all blades bifurcate, unit A with falcate tips: unit A, four falcigers with handles slender with 6 transverse rows of spines, blades long, 24 × as long as wide ( Fig. 23J ); unit B, two falcigers with handles thick with 6 transverse rows of spines, blades long, 28× as long as wide ( Fig. 23K ); unit C, four falcigers with handles slender with 9 transverse rows of spines, blades long, 28–30 × as long as wide ( Fig. 23L ); unit D, eight falcigers with handles slender with 7–8 transverse rows of spines, blades long, 27–30× as long as wide ( Fig. 23M ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT III ( Fig. 23N ). Notopodia conical, papillate, short, ⅓ as long as neuropodia; notopodial flange leaf-shaped, papillate. With up to 100 simple verticillate notochaetae, tips hooked, shortest ones half as long as notopodia, longest ones 4 × as long as notopodia ( Fig. 23O ). Neuropodia truncated, papillate, larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers; all blades bifurcate: unit A, five falcigers with handles thick with transverse rows of denticles, blades long, 11–12 × as long as wide ( Fig. 23P ); unit B, two neurochaetae with handle thick with 1–2 transverse rows of spines and subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades lost ( Fig. 23Q ); unit C, five falcigers with handles slender with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades long, 25–26 × as long as wide ( Fig. 23R ); unit D, 35

falcigers with handles slender, smooth, blade long, 38–40× as long as wide ( Fig. 23S ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT 23 (MIDDLE SEGMENT) ( Figs 23T , 24A–B ). Notopodia truncated, papillate, short, ⅓ as long as neuropodia. With up to 80 simple verticillate notochaetae, shortest ones 3× as long as notopodia, longest ones 5× as long ( Figs 23U , 24C ). Neuropodia truncated, papillate, larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers; all blades bifurcate: Unit A, three falcigers with handles thick with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades medium-sized, 8–10× as long as wide ( Fig. 23V ); unit B, four falcigers with handles thick with subdistal transverse grooves, blades long, 11–12× as long as wide ( Figs 23W , 24G ); unit C, seven falcigers with handles slender with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades medium-sized, 9–10× as long as wide ( Fig. 23X ); subunit 1, three falcigers with handles thick with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades long, 12–13× as long as wide ( Fig. 23Y ); unit D, five falcigers with handles slender with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades long, 15–16 × as long as wide ( Figs 23Z , 24E–F ).

POSTERIOR REGION. Lost.

Remarks

The original description of P. flava was based on a specimen from Rio de Janeiro and consisted of four lines ( Kinberg 1856); later, the description was completed with illustrations, including of the jaws ( Kinberg 1858). Hartman (1942a) redescribed the species with specimens from Puerto Rico, and, in the same paper, she suggested that Eupholoe acuminata Treadwell, 1934 should be regarded as a junior synonym of P. flava , she did, however, not study its type material. Subsequently, Pettibone (1997) redescribed P. flava using type and non-type material and kept E. acuminata as a synonym. The holotype of P. flava is from Rio de Janeiro, and the holotype of E. acuminata is from off N British Virgin Islands, indicating that this species has an apparent wide distribution in the Atlantic Ocean. Pettibone (1997) pointed out that the holotype is very damaged.

Figures

Fig. 23. Psammolyce flava Kinberg, 1856, non-type specimen (UMML 6720-927). A. Incomplete fragmented worm, dorsal view. B. Anterior end, dorsal view. C. Anterior end, ventral view. D. Detail of anterior end, arrowhead indicates lateral antennae. E. Dorsal papillae on anterior end. F. Dorsal papillae on middle region; arrowhead indicates right lateral antenna. G. Ventral papillae. H. Right parapodium from segment II, arrowhead indicates neuropodial appendage. I. Notochaeta from same. J. Unit A. K. Unit B. L. Unit C. M. Unit D. N. Right parapodium from segment III. O. Notochaeta from same. P. Unit A. Q. Unit B, blade missing. R. Unit C. S. Unit D. T. Right parapodium from segment 23. U. Notochaeta from same. V. Unit A. W. Unit B. X. Unit C. Y. Subunit 1. Z. Unit D. Scale bars: A = 1 cm; B–C = 2 mm; D, H, N, T = 500 μm; E–G = 100 µm; I, O, U = 40 μm; J–M, P–S, V–Z = 50 μm.

Fig. 24. Psammolyce flava Kinbergi, 1856, non-type material (UMML 6720-927). A–C, E–G, J–K. SEM micrographs. A. Right parapodium from segment 30. B. Parapodium from segment 31, neurochaetae removed, dorsal view. C. Notochaetae from A. D. Posterior elytron. E. Unit D from A. F. Insertion of blade on the handle, arrow indicates ligament. G. Ventral view of unit A from A. H. Surface of posterior elytron. I. Medial process of posterior elytron. J. Surface of posterior elytron, globular papillae. K. Surface of posterior elytron, dendritic papillae. Abbreviations: a = anterior; p = posterior. Scale bars: A = 500 μm; B = 100 μm; C, G = 20 μm; D = 1 mm; E, J–K = 50 μm; F = 10 μm; H–I = 300 μm.