Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879

Paresque, Karla, Fukuda, Marcelo Veronesi, Martín, Guillermo San & Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos, 2015, Amblyosyllis, Eusyllis, Odontosyllis, Perkinsyllis and Streptodonta (Annelida: Syllidae) from Brazil, with descriptions of two new species and new records for the country, Zootaxa 4000 (3), pp. 301-334 : 304-308

Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879

Figures 2–3

Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879: 552 , fig. 14; San Martín 1990: 607, figs 12–13; San Martín & Hutchings 2006: 276 –278, figs 12D–F, 13–14; Fukuda 2010: 38 –40, fig. 8.

Eusyllis autolytoides Hartmann-Schröder, 1991: 33 , figs 47–53.

Odontosyllis multidentata Hartmann-Schröder, 1982: 64 , figs 41–46; 1990: 51, fig. 17.

Material examined. Project ‘ BioPol-NE ’. State of Paraíba, Mataraca, Barra de Camaratuba (6°36.196'S 34°57.867'W), intertidal: 4 specimens ( MZUSP 2750), coll. 12 August 2010. Baía da Traição, Praia do Farol (6°41.331'S 34°55.803'W), intertidal: 97 specimens ( MZUSP 2748), coll. 0 9 August 2010. Rio Tinto, Barra de Mamanguape (6°46.140'S 34°55.025'W), intertidal: 33 specimens ( MZUSP 2749), coll. 11 August 2010. Conde, Praia de Tabatinga (7°19.297'S 34°47.862'W), intertidal: 3 specimens ( MZUSP 2747), coll. 0 1 September 2011; Praia do Coqueirinho (7°19.960'S 34°47.688'W), intertidal: 9 specimens ( MZUSP 2752), coll. 28 August 2011. State of Pernambuco: Sirinhaém, Barra do Sirinhaém (8°36.707'S 35°2.450'W), 1 m: 3 specimens ( MZUSP 2756), coll. 23 June 2013. Project ‘BIOTA’: State of São Paulo, Ubatuba, Praia da Fazenda (23°21.417'S 44°51.917'W), intertidal: 3 specimens ( MZUSP 1397), coll. 16 October 2001; Ilha dos Porcos Pequena (23º22'S 44º50'W), intertidal: 1 specimen ( MZUSP 2751), coll. 0 2 June 2001, 8 specimens ( MZUSP 2753), coll. 0 8 June 2001, 1 specimen ( MZUSP 2755), coll. 10 June 2001, 4 specimens ( MZUSP 2754), coll. 18 October 2001; Praia da Baleia (23°46.8'S 45°39.85'W), intertidal: 5 specimens ( MZUSP 1394), coll. 23 July 2005. Project " BioPol-SP " Peruíbe, Praia do Guaraú (23°58.729'S 46°22.07'W), intertidal: 7 specimens ( MZUSP 1395), coll. 0 5 March 2007.

Additional material examined. Eusyllis autolytoides Hartmann-Schröder, 1991 . Australia, Queensland, Heron Island: 8 specimens (paratypes, ZMH P- 20541 and ZMH P- 20542), coll. 0 3 February 1976 & det. 1991, G. Hartmann-Schröder. Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879 . Cuba, Archipiélago de los Canarreos, Punta del Francés, Isla de Pinos, on algae, 4 m: 11 specimens ( MNCN 16.01/6764) and 3 specimens ( USNM 102908 – 102910), coll. & det. G. San Martín; Australia, Western Australia, Exmouth Gulf, beach at north end of Bundegi Reef (21°49'S 114°11'E), on rocky rubble, brown alga with epiphytic growth: 10+ specimens (AM W28952), coll. H.E. Stoddart, 0 4 January 1984, det. G. San Martín, 2003; Australia, New South Wales, Hawkesbury River, east end of Brooklyn Boat Channel (33°33'S 151°14'E): 2 specimens (AM W196611), coll. 0 1 August 1979, A.R. Jones et al., 2003, det. G. San Martín. Odontosyllis multidentata Hartmann-Schröder, 1982 . Australia, Western Australia, Cape Naturaliste, Eagle Bay: 4 specimens (holotype, ZMH P- 16766 and paratypes, ZMH P- 16767), coll. 0 7 November 1975 and det. 1982, G. Hartmann-Schröder.

Description. Small to medium-sized body, fragile, largest specimen analyzed 5 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, with 35 segments. More evident pigmentation on anterior segments, live specimens with two brownish transverse bands per segment, one discontinuous, with wide mid-dorsal gap, another located mid-dorsally, near posterior borders of chaetigers ( Figs 2 A; 3A), pigmentation frequently dimmed in preserved specimens. Palps rounded, basally fused ( Figs 2 A, D; 3A). Prostomium subpentagonal to quadrangular ( Figs 2 A–C; 3A), with two pairs of eyes in rectangular to trapezoidal arrangement, anterior eyespots absent ( Figs 2 A; 3A); lateral antennae inserted in front of anterior eyes, extending well beyond tip of palps; median antenna inserted slightly posteriorly to lateral antennae, 2–2.5 times as long as lateral antennae ( Fig. 2 A–C). Nuchal organs not observed. Peristomium inconspicuous dorsally ( Fig. 2 C), only visible laterally and ventrally; dorsal peristomial cirri slightly shorter than median antenna, ventral peristomial cirri about same size as lateral antennae or slightly shorter ( Fig. 2 A–B, D). Dorsal cirri of chaetiger 1 as long as median antenna, 1.5–3 times longer than body width, longer than remaining dorsal cirri; dorsal cirri of chaetigers 2–3, 5, 7–8, 10 and shorter dorsal cirri from chaetiger 11 onwards slightly shorter than body width at corresponding segment; dorsal cirri of chaetigers 4, 6 and 9 and longer cirri from chaetiger 11 onwards, about same length as body width at corresponding segment or slightly longer ( Fig. 2 A–B); from chaetiger 11 onwards, dorsal cirri alternating in length. Antennae, peristomial and dorsal cirri throughout with short cirrophores and distally tapering cirrostyles ( Fig. 2 A–B, D). Ventral cirri ovate, slightly shorter than parapodial lobes ( Fig. 2 D). Parapodial lobes conical ( Fig. 2 B, D). Anterior parapodia with 10–25 falcigers each ( Fig. 2 E–F), midbody with 7–16, posterior parapodia with 4–7 falcigers each; shafts of falcigers slightly spinulated distally, with straight tips ( Fig. 3 B, D); blades of falcigers spinulated, unidentate, with rounded tips ( Figs 2 E–F; 3B, D); anterior and midbody parapodia with 2–3 dorsalmost falcigers with longer and thinner blades than remaining chaetae ( Fig. 2 E), ca. 24–30 µm long; remaining falcigers in each fascicle with inverted dorso-ventral gradation in length of blades, dorsalmost blades shorter, ca. 10–15 µm long, ventralmost blades longer, ca. 20–25 µm long ( Fig. 2 E–F). Dorsal simple chaetae usually from proventricle segments onwards, sometimes present on all segments, bayonet-shaped, subdistally spinulated, ( Figs 2 G; 3C); ventral simple chaetae not seen. Anteriormost parapodia with up to two aciculae each, both with apparently hollow tip, one of which distally enlarged, another slightly sigmoid distally ( Fig. 3 E); remaining parapodia with single distally enlarged acicula each, progressively stouter posteriorwards, with apparently hollow tip ( Fig. 3 F). Pygidium semicircular, with two elongated anal cirri, up to four times longer than posterior dorsal cirri. Pharynx through 4–6.5 segments, trepan with ca. 15 teeth, and large, conical to rhomboidal pharyngeal tooth; proventricle through 3.5–6 segments, with 40–44 muscle cell rows ( Fig. 3 A).

Remarks. Brazilian specimens agree with the descriptions provided by San Martín (1990), for Cuban specimens, and San Martín & Hutchings (2006), for the Australian ones, but in both cases the authors did not describe the inverted pattern of gradation in the length of falciger blades mentioned herein. This feature, however, is frequently omitted in species descriptions and, although present in many species, it is rarely mentioned. This is the case of the Cuban and Australian specimens analysed for comparison with the Brazilian ones, which show similar pattern of length of falcigers, albeit that has not been mentioned before.

The great geographical distances between localities where E. kupfferi occurs indicate that this is possibly a complex of sibling species.

Type locality. Madeira Island, Portugal (Atlantic Ocean).

Distribution. Atlantic Ocean: Portugal (Madeira Island), Spain (Canary Islands), Caribbean ( Cuba), Brazil (Paraíba to São Paulo). Indian Ocean: Australia (Western Australia). Pacific Ocean: Australia (Queensland and New South Wales).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Eusyllis kupfferi. (A) live specimen, dorsal view; (B), (C) anterior body, dorsal views; (D) anterior body, ventral view; (E), (F) falcigers, anterior parapodium; arrows point to dorsalmost chaetae; (G) dorsal simple chaeta, midbody parapodium. Scale bars: A, 0.3 mm; B, 70 µm; C, 28 µm; D, 90 µm; E, 8 µm; F, 5 µm; G, 3 µm.

FIGURE 3. Eusyllis kupfferi. (A) anterior body, dorsal view; (B) falcigers, anterior parapodium; (C) dorsal simple chaeta, midbody parapodium; (D) falcigers, midbody parapodium; (E), (F) aciculae, anterior and midbody parapodia, respectively. Scale bars: A, 100 Μm; B – F, 10 Μm.