Pelogenia salazarvallejoi, Cruz-Gómez, 2022

Cruz-Gómez, Christopher, 2022, Pelogeniinae Chamberlin, 1919 (Annelida, Sigalionidae) from the Grand Caribbean Region, European Journal of Taxonomy 807, pp. 1-59 : 47-51

Pelogenia salazarvallejoi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E7E2B8FA-8454-48FE-A7E9-C9A863389BCC

Figs 21–22

Diagnosis

A species of Pelogenia with short palps reaching segments 5–7; middorsal lobe of segment II absent, surface papillate; neurochaetae from segment II with smooth basal surface; neurochaetae from posterior segment with short slender blades; papillate medial process in posterior elytra.

Etymology

This species is named after Dr Sergio I. Salazar-Vallejo, a Mexican specialist on polychaetes, in recognition of his generous advice and guidance during my continuous training on systematics. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case ( ICZN 1999, Art. 31.1.2).

Material examined

Holotype SAINT MARTIN • complete spec.; Chicot , windward side of Tintamarre Island; 18°06′7″ N, 62°58′58″W; depth 13–19 m; 23 Apr. 2012; Arthur Anker leg.; reef in sand; UF 2757 .

Paratype SAINT MARTIN • 1 complete spec., 106 segments, 4.3 cm long, 1.1 cm to segment 30, 0.4 cm wide; Le Galion ; 18°04′40″ N, 63°00′53″ W; depth 1–2 m; 21 Apr. 2012; John Slapcinsky leg.; sand and seagrass; UF 2764 .

Other material

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • 1 incomplete spec., 68 segments, 4.8 cm long, 1.5 to segment 30, 1.8 cm wide; Florida, Bear Cut ; approximately 25°43′56″ N, 80°09′37″ W; low tide; 23 Aug. 1965; J.A. Jones leg.; on Thalassia sp. ; UF .

Description (holotype)

BODY. Pale whitish, short, broad ( Fig. 21A ), 84 segments, 3.9 cm long, 1.2 cm to segment 30, 0.3 cm wide. Middorsal line covered with foreign white particles attached to adhesive papillae ( Fig. 21B ). Venter covered only with short globular papillae ( Fig. 21C ).

PROSTOMIUM. Oval, longer than wider. Two pairs of eyes, anterior eyes larger, inserted anteriorly. Lateral antennae long, ceratophores as long as styles, dorsally fused with tentacular segment and partially covered by median antennal ceratophore ( Fig. 21D ). Median antenna ceratophore bulbous, slightly longer than prostomium, with a longitudinal ridge; style as long as ceratophore ( Fig. 21D ). Middorsal lobe of segment II absent, but surface papillate. First segment directed anteriorly; fused with tentacular segment (right and left parapodia fused anteriorly); biramous, chaetae simple verticillate. Dorsal tentacular cirrus longer than neuropodia including chaetae, ventral tentacular cirrus slightly shorter than dorsal tentacular cirrus, but longer than neuropodia; palps short, reaching segment five, with inner palpal sheaths ( Fig. 21C ).

ELYTRA. First three right elytra missing. First left elytron subrectangular with one medial process ( Fig. 22F ), covered with coarse sand; two kinds of papillae: elytral surface with pedunculate papillae with flat tips, elytral margin with dendritic papillae. Second left elytron subrectangular, with three posterior and two medial processes, separated by a median notch ( Fig. 22G ); two kinds of papillae: elytral surface with pedunculate papillae with flat tips, elytral margin with short dendritic papillae, longer papillae over elytral processes ( Fig. 22I ). Posterior right elytron oval with five posterior processes and two large medial processes, separated by a median notch ( Fig. 22H ), elytral surface with pedunculate papillae with flat tips, elytral margin with short and long dendritic papillae ( Fig. 22J–L ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT II ( Fig. 21F ). Notopodia truncated, papillate, slightly shorter than neuropodia, with an antero-dorsal distal lobe. With up to 80 simple verticillate notochaetae, shortest ones as long as notopodia, longest ones 3 × as long as neuropodia ( Fig. 21G ). Neuropodia conical, papillate, larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers, bifid with most blades with subdistal tooth lost, falcate: unit A, two falcigers with handles completely covered with transverse rows of spines, blades medium-sized, 8× as long as wide ( Fig. 21H ); unit B, two falcigers with handles thick with 4 transverse rows of spines, blades medium-sized, 6–7 × as long as wide ( Fig. 21I ); units C and D undifferentiated, six falcigers with handles thick completely covered by transverse rows of spines, blades long, 14–16 × as long as wide ( Fig. 21J ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT III ( Fig. 21K ). Notopodia truncated, papillate, slightly shorter than neuropodia, with an antero-dorsal dendritic distal lobe. Dorsal cirrus with cirrophore half as long as cirrostyle ( Fig. 21E ). With up to 50 simple verticillate notochaetae, shortest ones as long as notopodia, longest ones 3× as long as notopodia ( Fig. 21L ). Neuropodia leaf-shaped, papillate, larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers; all blades unidentate: unit A, four falcigers with handles thick, with 3 transverse rows of spines, blades short, 2–3× as long as wide ( Fig. 21M ); unit B, five falcigers with handles thick, with one transverse rows of spines, blades short, 2× as long as wide ( Fig. 21N ); units C and D undifferentiated, two falcigers with handles slender, smooth, blades long, 10–11 × as long as wide ( Fig. 21O ).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT 27 (MIDDLE SEGMENT) ( Figs 21P , 22A ). Notopodia conical, smooth (non-papillate), short, half as long as neuropodia. With up to 50 simple verticillate notochaetae, tips hooked, shortest ones half as long as notopodia, longest ones 4× as long as notopodia ( Figs 21Q , 22C ). Neuropodia conical, papillate ( Fig. 22B ), larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers; most blades unidentate, units D and subunit 2 with blades bifid: unit A, two falcigers with handles thick, smooth, blades short, 2× as long as wide ( Figs 21R , 22D ); unit B, one falciger with handle thick with 5 transverse rows of spines, blades long, 11× as long as wide ( Figs 21S , 22D ); unit C, four falcigers with handles thick with 8–10 transverse rows of spines, blades short, 2–3× as long as wide ( Fig. 21T ); subunit 1, one falciger with handle thick, smooth, blade short, 2× as long as wide ( Fig. 21U ); subunit 2, two falcigers with handles slender, smooth, blades long, 11–12 × as long as wide ( Figs 21V , 22E );

unit D, three falcigers with handles slender, with transverse rows of denticles, blades medium-sized, 6–7× as long as wide ( Fig. 21W ).

PYGIDIUM. Round with two anal cirri ( Fig. 22M ).

Remarks

Pelogenia salazarvallejoi sp. nov. belongs to the pelogenins with a short cirrostyle on segment III, and resembles P. zeylanica (Willey, 1905) from Sri Lanka ( Ceylon). However, there are evident differences, the most important being the presence of a distal lobe on the dorsal notopodial margin on all segments except the first one, and by having a middorsal ridge on the medial antennal ceratophore. In P. salazarvallejoi sp. nov. the neurochaetae from segment II are falcigers with smooth handles, and the posterior elytra have five medial processes and two large posterior processes; while P. zeylandica has neurochaetae from segment II with transverse rows of spines ( Pettibone 1997: 36, fig. 25d), and the posterior elytra only have two medial processes, and two posterior processes ( Pettibone 1997: 37, fig. 26f). It should be noted that although most of the specimens examined show the short style in the dorsal cirri in segment III, the specimen from Florida shows a short right style but the left one is of similar length as the cirrophore. Additionally, in this material a small syllid was found attached to the dorsal side of the body, among posterior elytra ( Fig. 22N ).

Distribution

Grand Caribbean region. From Florida to Saint Martin, French Antilles.

Figures

Fig. 21. Pelogenia salazarvallejoi sp. nov., holotype (UF 2757). A. Complete worm, dorsal view. B. Anterior end, dorsal view (insert: dorsal papillae). C. Anterior end, ventral view (insert: ventral papillae). D. Detail of median antenna ceratophore, arrowhead indicates lateral antenna. E. Left cirrus from segment III.F. Right parapodium from segment II. G. Notochaeta from same. H. Unit A.I. Unit B. J. Units C and D. K. Right parapodium from segment III. L. Notochaeta from same. M. Unit A. N. Unit B. O. Units C and D. P. Right parapodium from segment 27. Q. Notochaeta from same. R. Unit A. S. Unit B. T. Unit C. U. Subunit 1. V. Subunit 2. W. Unit D. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B–C = 1 mm; D–F, K, P = 500 μm; G, L, Q = 40 μm; H–J, M–O, R–W = 50 μm.

Fig. 22. Pelogenia salazarvallejoi sp. nov., holotype (UF 2757). A–E, K–L. SEM micrographs. A. Parapodium from segment 23. B. Neuropodial papilla with ‘thick cilia’. C. Notochaetae from A. D. Units A and B. E. Subunit 2. F. First left elytron. G. Second left elytron. H. Posterior right elytron. I. Medial process of G. J. Medial process of H. K. Flat papillae from posterior elytron.L. Medial process from posterior elytron. M. Pygidium. N. Syllid associated between posterior elytra. Abbreviations: a = anterior; p = posterior. Scale bars: A = 200 μm; B = 5 μm; C = 10 μm; D–E = 20 μm; F–H = 1 mm; I–L, N = 50 μm; M = 500 μm.