Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata, Guillermo San Martin, 2005

Guillermo San Martin, 2005, Exogoninae (Polychaeta: Syllidae) from Australia With the Description of a New Genus and Twenty-two New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 57, pp. 39-152 : 91-92

Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata n.sp.

Fig. 46A–I

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND. HOLOTYPE: AM W26712, Halifax Bay, north of Townsville, 19°09'S 146°37'E, 5 m, Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd, July 1985. PARATYPES: 4 specimens, AM W26713, Halifax Bay, north of Townsville, 19°09'S 146°37'E, 5 m, Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd, July 1985. 1 specimen (identified as Brania opisthodentata ), ZHM P-21030, Heron Island, coarse sand, intertidal, G. Hartmann-Schröder, 4 Feb 1976.

Description. Body small, 2.3 mm long, 0.15 mm wide, 24 chaetigers. Dorsal surface provided with short papillae ( Fig. 46A,C ). Prostomium ovate, partially covered dorsally by peristomium ( Fig. 46A,B ), wider than long; 4 eyes in trapezoidal arrangement; antennae longer than prostomium, shorter than combined length of prostomium and palps ( Fig. 46A ); median antenna inserted in front of anterior eyes, slightly posteriorly to lateral antennae; lateral antennae inserted on anterior margin of prostomium ( Fig. 46A,B ). Palps fused all along their length, with a dorsal furrow ( Fig. 46B ). Dorsal cirri short on anterior segments ( Fig. 46A ), slightly longer on midbody and posterior segments ( Fig. 46C ), absent on chaetiger 2. Parapodial glands small, with granular material, present from chaetigers 4–5 ( Fig. 46A,C ). Anterior parapodia each with 3–4 compound chaetae, with short, unidentate blades, provided with moderate to short marginal spines, spines longer on dorsalmost chaetae ( Fig. 46E ), about 8 µm long, and dorsal simple chaeta, unidentate, with short marginal spines ( Fig. 46D ); progressively, blades of compound chaetae missing and shafts enlarging, forming thick simple chaetae; from midbody posteriorly, parapodia each with 4 simple chaetae by modification of compound chaetae ( Fig. 46G ), dorsal ( Fig. 46F ) and ventral ( Fig. 46H ) unidentate, smooth, simple chaetae.Acicula solitary, distally bent at right angle ( Fig. 46I ). Pharynx through about 3 segments ( Fig. 46A ), pharyngeal tooth relatively long, on anterior margin. Proventricle through 2 segments ( Fig. 46A ), with 23 muscle cell rows. Pygidium small, provided with relatively long papillae, and 2 long anal cirri ( Fig. 46C ).

Remarks. Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata n.sp. is similar to Sphaerosyllis aciculata Perkins, 1981 , from Florida; the chaetae are nearly identical; S. bardukaciculata , however, differs from S. aciculata in having longer antennae and anal cirri, and parapodial glands with granular material instead of fibrillar material ( Perkins, 1981).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Habitat. Coarse sand.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word barduk, meaning “near”, referring to its similarity with S. aciculata .

Figures

Fig. 46. Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata n.sp. (A) anterior end, dorsal view (holotype); (B) prostomium and palps (paratype); (C) posterior end, dorsal view (holotype); (D) dorsal simple chaeta, anterior parapodium; (E) compound chaetae, anterior parapodium; (F) dorsal simple chaeta; (G) simple chaetae; (H) ventral simple chaeta; (I) acicula. (F–I, midbody-posterior parapodium). Scale A,B: 70 µm, C: 0.1 mm, D–I: 20 µm.