Loandalia fredrayorum, Marks, Shona & Hocknull, Scott, 2006

Marks, Shona & Hocknull, Scott, 2006, New species of Loandalia (Polychaeta: Pilargidae) from Queensland, Australia, Zootaxa 1119, pp. 59-68 : 62-63

Loandalia fredrayorum sp. nov.

Fig. 2 , a–d.

Etymology:

For Frederick Marks and Raymond Fitzgerald.

Material:

Holotype. QMC G223179, Loandalia fredrayorum sp. nov. [Middle Banks Moreton Bay, S27°12’, E153°19’, collected July/ August 1982]. Paratype. QMC G223180 [Middle Banks Moreton Bay, S27°12’, E153°19’, July/ August 1982]. Habitat is a submerged sandbank with a depth of 3– 11 m.

Diagnosis:

Singular palpostyles. Parapodia uniramous on chaetiger 1, thereafter biramous; notopodial spine emergent at chaetiger 9; notopodial chaetae numbering 2–4; neurochaetae numbering 20–24; ventral cirri from chaetiger 7; dorsally positioned anus with two lateral papillae­like anal cirri.

Description:

Pilargid of large size, length 181mm, width 1.85mm (without chaetae), 2.55 (with chaetae); 218 chaetigers. Body of preserved individuals creamy/white to reddish/brown.

Body corpulent; posterior segments slightly dorso­ventrally flattened. Chaetiger 1–6 inflated, with segmentation inconspicuous, surface areolated; lateral­grooves extend from first parapodia to pygidium ( Fig 2 , a). Prostomium discrete; palpophores divided; palpostyles are singular and papillae­like. Pharynx eversible; eye spots absent. First parapodium uniramous with remaining chaetigers biramous; notopodial lobes present at chaetiger 2, fully developed by chaetiger 6; 2–4 notochaetae present from chaetiger 2; notopodial spines weakly emerging at chaetiger 9, fully emergent at chaetiger 46. Neuropodial lobe larger than notopodia, reduced in chaetiger 1–4; simple curved neurochaetae with numerous whorled teeth; Neurochaetae in 5–6 bundles of 4, totalling 20–24 neurochaetae per parapodia; emergent neuroacicula from chaetiger 1, positioned anterior to chaetae. Ventral cirri appears from chaetiger 7, fully developed on chaetiger 8– 9 ( Fig 2 , b). Two most posterior segments possesses emergent notopodial spines and neuroacicula, chaetae are absent, with considerably reduced parapodia lobes. Pygidium as an anal plate, 2 lateral anal cirri present, papillae­like, mid ventral anal cirrus not visible; ventral surface of pygidium plate has ‘m’ like groove ( Fig 2 , d); anus is positioned dorsally ( Fig 2 , c).

Remarks:

Loandalia fredrayorum differs from all other species of Loandalia by possessing the highest neurochaetae count, 20–24. L. fredrayorum differs from L. aberrans , L. gracilis , L. indica and L. ocularis by possessing uniramous parapodia only on chaetiger 1, rest biramous. Differs further from L. aberrans by the absence of dorsal cirri. L. fredrayorum differs from L. bennei , L. evelinae , L. riojai and L. gladstonensis sp. nov. by possessing singular palpostyles. Differing further from L. bennei , L. evelinae and L. gladstonensis by possessing notopodial spines emergent at chaetiger 9. L. fredrayorum differs from L. tricuspis and L. vivianneae by possessing ventral cirri starting at chaetiger 7 versus chaetiger 4; and notopodial spines starting at chaetiger 9 versus chaetiger 7. L. fredrayorum differs from L. americana , L. evelinae and L. maculata by possessing ventral cirri starting from chaetiger 7 versus chaetiger 6. Further differing from L. americana by possessing an emergent notopodial spine from chaetiger 9 versus chaetiger 2. L. fredrayorum differs further from L. fauveli by possessing a notopodial spine at chaetiger 9 versus chaetiger 8. L. fredrayorum differs further from L. maculata by possessing a notopodial spine at chaetiger 9 versus chaetiger 6. L. fredrayorum differs from L. salazarvallejoi by possessing anal cirri that are papillae­like versus elongate (longer than pygidium). Distinguishing features summarised in table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Loandalia fredrayorum sp. nov. Holotype QMC G 223179 a) Anterior region, dorsal view. Scale = 1 mm. b) Parapodia of chaetiger 21, anterior view right side, Scale = 0.2 mm. c) Posterior region, dorsal view, Scale = 0.5 mm. d) Posterior region, ventral view, Scale = 0.5 mm.