Flabelligera vaginifera ( Rathke, 1843 ), 2012

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2012, Revision of Flabelligera Sars, 1829 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae) 3203, Zootaxa 3203 (1), pp. 1-64 : 36-39

Flabelligera vaginifera ( Rathke, 1843)

Figure 15

Siphonostoma vaginiferum Rathke 1843:211–215 , Pl. 11, Figs. 3–10 ; Sars 1873:247; Théel 1879:52; Hartwich 1993:145. Pherusa vaginifera: de Quatrefages 1866: 483 n. comb. (Latin diag.).

Tecturella flaccida Stimpson 1854:32 , Pl. 2, Fig. 21 .

Material examined. Norway. Six specimens ( ZMUB-2254 ), apparently fixed in alcohol, without data (anterior end dissected in a broken specimen). One specimen ( ZMUB-2273 ), damaged, N. Nordh. Expedition 1878, Stat. 366 (no further data), Magdalena Bay , Spitzbergen (used for anterior end features). One specimen ( ZMUB-27502 ), R/ V Michael Sars, Stat. 90 (no further data), 23 Aug. 1902, 75 m (used for description). Three specimens ( ZMUB- 41728 ), Djaerleviken, Fondal, 1912, F.A. Grieg, coll. One specimen ( ZMH-23528 ), Liefdefjorden, Spitzbergen, Stat SPE-92/68, Markeöyane, van Veen, calcareous algae, 6 Aug. 1992, Plante & Wagner, coll. Eleven specimens ( ZMH-23613 ), Liefdefjorden, Spitzbergen, Stat. M 8, many brown algae, Laminaria 2, 70–80 m (two complete; even the smaller fragments have an opaque tunic, although surface areoles are better seen in large specimens) . Greenland. Two specimens ( LACM-AHF-2592 ), one complete and anterior fragment, Murchison Sound , Baffin Bay , Northwestern Greenland, Walrus Ground, 60 fathoms, 8 Aug. 1938, R.A Bartlett, coll. One specimen ( MNHN-183 ), Greenland, no further data. One specimen ( MNHN-184 ), Patrix fjord, Expediton de R/ V La Manche, 1892 (no further data). Novaya Zemliya. One specimen ( MNHN-184 b), Mission Arctique, Fjord Prince- Albert, Nouvelle Zemble, C. Binard, Stat. 4, 1909 (body complete, dark, slightly damaged). Kara Sea. 22 complete specimens (ZMUC-unnumb.), T. Helm, coll. (most with papillae with black tips). Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. One specimen ( ZMH-23528 ), 92/68 much contracted, pale brown, tunic almost complete . Canada. Three specimens ( USNM 246975 ), two complete, R/ V Resolute, Cape Enterprise, Victoria Island, Stat. 7300 (69º10' N, 106º20' W), B 2, 30 m, sand and mud, otter trawl, 23 Aug. 1962, E.H. Grangier, coll .

Description. Best specimen (ZMUB-27502) brown, fusiform, tapering towards both ends, slightly depressed ( Fig. 15A ); 34 mm long, 6 mm wide, cephalic cage chaetae 3 mm long, 48 chaetigers. Tunic opaque, smooth, mostly free from large debris or sediment particles, but foreign particles of different sizes, forming a heterogeneous inner layer; papillae not visible.

Cephalic hood not exposed. Anterior end observed in another specimen (ZMUB-2273). Prostomium whitish, low, eyes not seen (large, dark brown in ZMUB-2254). Caruncle well developed, extended posteriorly over the posterior branchial plate margin, medial lobe blackish (pale in ZMUB-2254), basally with a longitudinal depression in medial lobe, distally swollen, lateral ridges grayish. Palps contracted, about 1/3 as long as branchiae; palps lobes rounded, elevated. Dorsal and lateral lips grayish, swollen, wide ( Fig. 15C ); ventral lip reduced.

Branchiae whitish, in two lateral groups, each group with about 10 concentric rows, and over 100 filaments. Nephridial lobes whitish, short, rounded, basally separated from branchiae.

Cephalic cage chaetae about as long as 1/11 body length or half as long as body width ( Fig. 15B ). Chaetiger 1 involved in cephalic cage, about 26 noto- and 22 neurochaetae per fascicle. Anterior dorsal margin of chaetiger 1 papillated. Anterior chaetigers without especially long chaetae. Chaetigers 1–3 of about the same length. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage chaetae to body chaetae abrupt; long, multiarticulate neurohooks from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes not seen; in one specimen (ZMUB-2273) visible on chaetigers 5–6, short, rounded, whitish, with dark center ( Fig. 15D, E ).

Parapodia well developed, lateral; median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodial lobes long, distally rounded, papillae covered by the tunic; most shorter papillae clavate, without mucro, most longer papillae mucronate. Neuropodial lobes projecting.

Median notochaetae arranged in short rows, transverse to body axis; all notochaetae multiarticulated capillaries, as long as 1/3 body width, 6–7 per fascicle, articles short basally and medially, medium-sized distally. Neurochaetae multiarticulated capillaries in chaetiger 1; long multiarticulate neurohooks, rarely double, from chaetiger 2. Handle articulation regular, articles of roughly the same length; 3–4 articles, small, median ones slightly longer ( Fig. 15F ). Crest slightly wider than handle, dark brown along the body, pigmentation extending towards base; width:length ratio 1:4–5.

Posterior end tapering to blunt cone; pygidium without achaetous segments; anus terminal, without anal cirri.

Remarks. Flabelligera vaginifera ( Rathke, 1843) n. comb. is closely allied to F. pergamentacea because in both species the tunics are opaque with sediment particles. They differ because F. vaginifera has a rough tunic, the sediment particles form areoles and the crests of neurohooks are slightly shorter (width:length ratio 1:4–5), whereas F. pergamentacea has a smooth tunic, the sediment particles do not form any pattern and the crests of neurohooks are slightly longer (width:length ratio 1:5–6).

Further, F. vaginifera differs from F. affinis because its tunic is opaque and incorporates foreign particles. As stated above, the inclusion of two different forms, one transparent, the other opaque, under the same species name has to be resolved since there are no intermediate forms. Thus, F. affinis has been restricted to the specimens with a transparent tunic (see above), while those with opaque tunics must be regarded as F. vaginifera . Tecturella flaccida Stimpson, 1854 is herein regarded as a junior synonym after the original description, but there is no type material available. This conclusion requires confirmation after a careful comparison with topotype materials.

Distribution. Arctic Ocean to cold environments on the Eastern and Western Atlantic ocean, in intertidal to 120 m depth, in sandy or mixed bottoms.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Flabelligera bophortica Annenkova-Chlopina, 1924, syntypes (ZIRAS-27043). A. Best syntype, lateral view. B. Same, anterior end, oblique, ventrolateral view. C. Same, head, frontal view (BS: branchial scars, Ca: caruncle, DL: dorsal lip, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar, VL: ventral lip). D. Same, neuropodia 4–7, oblique, ventral view showing gonopodial lobes (GL), E. Same, chaetiger 10, notochaetae (inserts: basal, medial and subdistal regions). F. Same, posterior chaetiger, neurohooks (inserts: handle articulation and crest close-up). Scale bars: A: 3.3 mm, B: 1.3 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 0.8 mm, E: 320 µm, F: 260 µm.

FIGURE 4. Flabelligera diplochaitus (Otto, 1821). Non-type specimens (MNHN-507). A. Anterior end, dorsal view. B. Same, head, frontal view (BS: branchial scars, DL: dorsal lip, LL: lateral lip, VL: ventral lip). C. Same, close-up showing prostomium (Pr), base of caruncle (Ca), nephridial lobes (NL), and palp scars (PS). D. Another specimen, median chaetiger, cross section. E. Non-type specimens (MNHN-507), chaetiger 9, neurohooks (insert: handle articles). F. Another specimen (MNHN-184), head, frontal view, palps and branchiae removed; arrow indicates parasite. Scale bars: A: 1.2 mm, B: 0.5 mm, C: 0.2 mm, D: 0.7 mm, E: 0.4 mm, F: 0.7 mm.

FIGURE 5. Flabelligera haswelli new name, neotype (AM-8674). A. Complete, bent ventrally, anterior end in dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end in oblique, ventral view. C. Same, anterior end, oblique ventral view. D. Same, anterior end, ventral view. E. Same, chaetiger 14, neurohook. F. Same, chaetiger 22, neurohooks. Scale bars: A, B: 3.7 mm, C: 0.9 mm, D: 1 mm, E: 190 µm, F: 176 µm.

FIGURE 6. Flabelligera infundibularis Johnson, 1901. A. Lectotype (MCZ-2503), ventral view. B. Same, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, anterior end, ventral view. D. Paralectotype (LACM-AHF-535), head, frontal view (Ca: caruncle, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar, VL: ventral lip). E. Non-type specimen (USNM 186478), head, frontal view (BS: branchial scars, PS: palp scar). F. Lectotype, detached neurohook. G. Same, crest (insert: handle articulated portion). Scale bars: A: 7 mm, B: 2.4 mm, C: 2 mm, D, F: 0.5 mm, E: 1 mm, G: 112 µm.

FIGURE 7. Flabelligera luctator (Stimpson, 1856), topotype specimens (BMNH-1936.10.16.152–7). A. Complete specimens. B. Largest syntype, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, head, frontal view (LL: lateral lip, NL: nephridial lobe, PS: palp scar). D. Same, chaetigers 4–7, ventral view (GL: gonopodial lobes). E. Same, chaetiger 5, neurohooks (insert: articulated portion of handle). F. Same, chaetiger 11, neurohook (insert: articulated portion of handle). Scale bars: A: 10 mm, B: 2.3 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 0.8 mm, E: 225 µm, F: 160 µm.

FIGURE 8. Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder, 1965, Holotype (ZMH-14911). A. Dorsal view. B. Anterior end, dorsal view; greenish due to methyl green staining. C. Same, chaetiger 12, neurohook (insert: basal and distal regions, enlarged). Scale bars: A: 1.7 mm, B: 0.6 mm, C: 150 µm.

FIGURE 9. Flabelligera nuniezi n. sp. A. Holotype (MNHN/1530), dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Same, chaetigers 3– 9, left neuropodia, showing gonopodial lobes by arrows. D. Same, chaetiger 10, neurohook. E. Same, chaetiger 22, neurohook. F. Non-type specimen (ZMUC unnumb.), median neurohook (insert: close up of handle anchylosed region). Scale bars: A: 1.3 mm, B: 1.1 mm, C: 0.2 mm, D: 90 µm, E: 100 µm, F: 250 µm.

FIGURE 10. Flabelligera orensanzi n. sp. A. Holotype (MACN-In 39270), dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, ventral view. C. Paratype (CENPAT), head, frontal view, palps and branchiae removed, prostomium slightly eroded (BS: branchial scars, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar). D. Paratype (ECOSUR), chaetiger 9, neurohook (insert: articulated region of handle). E. Non-type specimen (MNHN-884), head, frontal view, two copepod parasites indicated by arrows (Ca: caruncle, BS: branchial scar, VL: ventral lip). Scale bars: A: 0.8 mm, B: 1 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 225 µm, E: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 15. Flabelligera vaginifera (Rathke, 1843). A. Non-type specimen (ZMUB-27502), dorsal view. B. Same, some tunic fragments removed, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Non-type specimen (ZMUB-2254), head compressed by cover slip, branchial plate dislodged (BS: branchial scars, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar). D. Another specimen (ZMUB-2273), anterior end, ventral view (arrows indicate gonopodial lobes). E. Same, right chaetigers 5–6 (arrows indicate gonopodial lobes). F. Same, chaetiger 9, neurohooks (insert: multiarticulated region). Scale bars: A: 2 mm, B: 2.2 mm, C: 0.3 mm, D: 3 mm, E: 1.2 mm, F: 0.45 mm.

FIGURE 21. Flabehlersia persimilis (Annenkova-Chlopina, 1924) n. comb. A. Holotype (ZIRAS-27067), body twisted, oblique dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, lateral view. C. Same, anterior end, ventral view. D. Same, chaetiger 10, right parapodium, anterior view (inserts: neurohook before and after removal of other chaetal fragments). E. Same, basal, medial and distal notochaetal regions. Scale bars: A: 1.4 mm, B: 1 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 0.28 mm (insert: 0.14 mm), E: 50 µm.