Terebellidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Author
Nogueira, João Miguel Matos
Author
Hutchings, Pat
Author
Carrerette, Orlemir
text
Zootaxa
2015
4019
1
484
576
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4019.1.18
17696c34-012b-4e06-bd03-8516d44a6814
1175-5326
289527
906BB67C-F137-4CDA-A26B-77A025725800
Genus
Lizardia
n. gen.
Type-species.
Lizardia quasimodo
Nogueira, Hutchings & Carrerette
, this paper, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part without eyespots; distal part shelf-like. Peristomium forming lips; hood-like upper lip; small, swollen lower lip, restricted to oral area. Segments 1–3 with thick and low ventral lobes of uniform length across ventrum, running from one side to another of body, originating progressively more laterally. Branchiae absent. Anterior segments with glandular, rectangular, smooth to slightly corrugated anteriorly mid-ventral shields; mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from termination of mid-ventral shields. Short and conical notopodia beginning from segment 4, extending for 9 segments, until segment 12. Anterior notopodia with distally narrowly-winged notochaetae in both rows, wings only present at tips of chaetae; posterior notopodia with distally serrated chaetae in both rows, alimbate, with blade at an angle with shaft and with short and rounded teeth in anterior row, and with blade aligned with shaft and long teeth in posterior row. Neuropodia present from segment 6, as low ridges throughout. Neurochaetae throughout as avicular uncini, arranged in completely separated double rows from segment 11 until posterior body; uncini throughout with short base, almost inconspicuous dorsal button at base of main fang, and crest with numerous transverse rows of secondary teeth. Inconspicuous nephridial and genital papillae. Pygidium smooth.
Remarks.
This new abranchiate genus is characterized by having nine pairs of notopodia from segment 4, with narrowly-winged notochaetae on anterior notopodia, and serrated notochaetae on posterior ones, and neuropodia from segment 6.
No other genus of
Terebellidae
, either branchiate or not, has only nine pairs of notopodia; in fact all of them have a much larger number. Currently the following abranchiate genera are known from
Australia
:
Baffinia
Wesenberg-Lund, 1950
and
Spinosphaera
Hessle, 1917
, which have notopodia extending almost to the pygidium,
Arranooba
Hutchings & Glasby, 1988
, which has 17 pairs of notopodia,
Lanassa
Malmgren 1866
, with 15 pairs of notopodia,
Phisidia
Saint-Joseph, 1894
, with 14 pairs, and
Pseudoproclea
Hutchings & Glasby, 1990
, with 16 pairs of notopodia.
FIGURE 29.
Lanicides rubra
n. sp.
AM W.44272: A–B. Notochaetae, segments 5 and 6, respectively; C–F. Notochaetae, segment 20 under higher magnifications, general and chaetae from anterior (2) and posterior rows, respectively; G–J. Uncini, segments 6, 7, 24, 20, respectively; arrows point to spatulate dorsal buttons; K–L. Posterior uncini; arrow points to pigment granule. Scale bars: A–B, D, F = 30 µm, C = 20 µm, E, G–J = 20 µm, K = 5 Μm, L = 10 Μm.
Five other abranchiate genera of terebellids have not been found in
Australia
so far,
Articulatia
Nogueira, Hutchings & Amaral, 2003
, which has 11–20 pairs of notopodia,
Laphania
Malmgren, 1866
, which has 17 pairs of notopodia,
Leaena
Malmgren, 1866
, with 10–17 pairs,
Morgana
Nogueira & Amaral, 2001
, with 18–25 pairs, and
Stschapovella
Levenstein, 1957
, with 16 pairs. For this reason we are describing this as a new genus, which is currently monotypic.
Etymology.
This new genus is named after Lizard
Island
, where a major coral reef research station is located, the Lizard
Island
Research Station, founded in 1973 and run by the Australian Museum.