Telothelepodidae, Thelepodidae and Trichobranchidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Author
Hutchings, Pat
Author
Nogueira, João Miguel Matos
Author
Carrerette, Orlemir
text
Zootaxa
2015
4019
1
240
274
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4019.1.12
6ef51ae2-1fd9-478d-bcdd-9ced4992551b
1175-5326
253393
710CEEF1-F9D9-469F-9184-DC9903650F4C
Genus
Rhinothelepus
Hutchings, 1974
Rhinothelepus
Hutchings 1974
: 192
–193, figs 6A, B.
Type-species.
Rhinothelepus lobatus
Hutchings, 1974
, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part with eyespots; distal part low, restricted to base of upper lip, mid-dorsal process frequently present, elongate, attached to the upper lip basally, distally free. Buccal tentacles all uniformly cylindrical. Peristomium forming lips, continuing dorsally in some species as narrow annulation, with nuchal organs as a thin ciliate row on anterior margin; upper lip large, distinctly longer than wide, frequently highly convoluted; lower lip also expanded, extending across entire ventrum, segment-like, with deep corrugations, to cushion-like. Two pairs of branchiae on segments 2–3, each pair with numerous independent curled filaments, progressively tapering to tips. Anterior body highly glandular ventrally, swollen. Notopodia beginning from segment 3, extending for 15 segments; winged or bayonet-like chaetae in anterior row, changing
types
from anterior (bayonet) to posterior (winged) segments with notopodia, posterior row with narrowly-winged chaetae throughout. Neuropodia beginning from segment 8; uncini with conspicuous prow, dorsal button closer to tip of uncini in relation to base of main fang (anterior to middle third of uncini), and crest with 2–3 rows of secondary teeth. Nephridial and genital papillae usually present, posterior to bases of notopodia of segments 5–7. Pygidium smooth to slightly crenulate.
Remarks.
Except for
R. occabus
Hutchings, 1990
, described from
Hong Kong
, this genus is known only from
Australia
. The
type
species,
R. lobatus
Hutchings, 1974
, was described from
Wallis
Lake, New South
Wales
,
R. macer
Hutchings, 1977
, from Moreton Bay, Queensland, and
R. buku
Hutchings, 1997a
, from Melville Bay, Northern Territory.
The most important characters to distinguish among the species in this group are the presence of a mid-dorsal prostomial process, the extension and morphology of upper and lower lips, number of branchial filaments and the morphology of bayonet-like chaetae, either slender or with wings terminating by bulbous subdistal “head”. Uncini seem to be very conservative in this genus, with similar morphology in all species.