Vermiliopsis Saint Joseph, 1894

Ben-Eliahu, M. Nechama & Ten Hove, Harry A., 2011, Serpulidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the Suez Canal- From a Lessepsian Migration Perspective (a Monograph) 2848, Zootaxa 2848 (1), pp. 1-147 : 95

Genus Vermiliopsis Saint Joseph, 1894 , s. str.

The genus Vermiliopsis is in urgent need of revision. For the time being, the taxa Vermiliopsis infundibulum sensu ( Philippi, 1844) , V. glandigera Gravier, 1906 and V. pygidialis ( Willey, 1905) are considered to belong to a complex of morphologically indistinguishable species (or taxa which at least have been confused in the literature) and it is not known whether they represent one or more species (cf. Zibrowius 1968: 123, ten Hove 1975: 55–59, Ben-Eliahu & Fiege 1996: 8, ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009: 100–102). Since 1976, many authors just refer to Vermiliopsis infundibulum / glandigera -complex (e.g., Imajima 1976: 139, 1978: 57, 1979: 169, ten Hove 1994: 113, Fiege & Sun 1999: 133), although recently “similar” species with more restricted distributions have been named (e.g. Vermiliopsis zibrowii Nogueira & Abbud, 2009 , South Brazil; V. cylindrica Pillai, 2009 , western Australia). Vermiliopsis infundibulum was considered to be present throughout the Mediterranean ( Bianchi 1981), while V. glandigera and V. pygidialis were usually regarded as Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific taxa (see Systematic Section below).

In view of these taxonomical problems, morphology cannot be used to determine the provenance of Vermiliopsis infundibulum / glandigera / pygidialis in the Suez Canal [contrary to the somewhat formalistic distinction by Pillai (2009: 108, fig. 8), made on literature comparison only]. In contrast, the Mediterranean / Atlantic species, Vermilopsis striaticeps ( Grube, 1862) , can be distinguished from V. infundibulum (e.g., Zibrowius 1979a) by marked taxonomic characters, although it has been confused with this taxon in the past. For example, Monro (1930: 209–211, fig. 88), figured four opercula in describing his “ Vermiliopsis glandigerus ” from the Atlantic Gulf of Guinea, two of them with clear longitudinal striations belonging to Vermiliopsis striaticeps , the other two belonging to the Vermiliopsis infundibulum / glandigera complex (material studied by HAtH). It appears that the Vermiliopsis infundibulum / V. glandigera -complex and V. striaticeps are both present in the Mediterranean and also in the Suez Canal. Vermilopsis striaticeps was reported from Deversoir [as V.infundibulum in Selim (1997b), citing Ghobashy et al. (1980) and Ghobashy & Ghobashy (2005), who referred to the same single specimen]. The excellent illustration in Selim (1997b, fig. 9a) enables confirming this specimen confidently as Vermiliopsis striaticeps . However, that finding called into question other citations based on Selim’s identifications, e.g., those of Vermiliopsis infundibulum from the Mediterranean. For example, Selim (1997b: 97) cited a record of Ghobashy et al. (1980) from the Suez Canal for Vermiliopsis infundibulum without providing morphological detail. Similarly, it is not possible to know whether the record from Alexandria harbour (Ghobashy 1984) belongs to the Mediterranean Vermiliopsis infundibulum or V. striaticeps . Determinations of Vermiliopsis infundibulum based on empty tubes must also be considered as questionable and are therefore cited with a question mark before the date of publication in the synonymy section below.