Pherusa saldanha Day, 1961

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 : 2309-2310

Pherusa saldanha Day, 1961

( Figure 9 )

Pherusa saldanha ; Day 1967: 663, fig. 32.3.e–h.

Material examined

ESFM-POL/05-498 , 14 September 2005, K8, 1– 3 m, rocks, 1 specimen ; ESFM-POL/ 2005-574 , 18 September 2005, K15, 0.2– 3 m, rocks, 11 specimens .

Additional material examined

Paratype, NHM1963.1.127, Saldanha Bay , South Africa 33°03′ S, 18°00′9″ E, 15 m depth, shells khaki sand and rock, 27 April 1959, Stn SB 177, Prof. J.H.Day

Description

Largest specimen complete, 10.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, with 48 chaetigers. Cephalic cage consisting of 36 stout chaetae of first two chaetigers, measuring 4.5 mm. Body stout, cylindrical anteriorly (between anterior end and chaetiger 21), then tapering evenly to a distinct tail ( Figure 9A ). Surface with numerous small papillae but elongated long papillae also present near conjunctions of segments ( Figure 9C ). Cephalic hood with c. 30 branchial filaments in a single marginal row; with two small palps. Chaetiger 3 with notopodia having one capillary chaeta and neuropodia with two capillary chaetae. Chaetiger 4 with notopodia having one capillary chaeta and neuropodia with one simple hook. Hook brownish, sigmoid, larger in anterior part, single per parapodium ( Figure 9B ); two hooks observed solely on chaetiger 10.

Remarks

Pherusa saldanha was described from South Africa. The Mediterranean specimens are very similar to the paratype of P. saldanha . However, the body surface of the paratype is more papillated than that of the Turkish specimens. The structure (long, elongated) of papillae is similar in the paratype and the Mediterranean specimens. It was also observed that the sizes and number of papillae on the body surfaces of specimens at station K15 were variable .

Distribution

This species was only known from its type locality, Saldanha Bay , South Africa ( Day 1967). It could have been introduced to the Mediterranean by ballast waters of ships from the Indian Ocean .

Figures

Figure 9. Pherusa saldanha: (A) whole body, dorsolateral view (ESFM-POL/2005-574), (B) simple hook on neuropodium of chaetiger 7, (C) papillae on body and capillary chaeta, anterior part. Scale bars: (A) 1 mm, (B,C) 60 µm.