Revision of Flabelliderma Hartman, 1969 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae)
Author
Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I.
text
Journal of Natural History
2007
2010-12-03
41
33 - 36
2037
2061
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930701536443
journal article
10.1080/00222930701536443
1464-5262
5232698
Flabelliderma gourdoni
(
Gravier, 1906
)
n. comb.
(
Figure 4
)
Flabelligera gourdoni
Gravier 1906
, p 536
–537;
Gravier 1907
, p 35
–37, Plate 3, Figure 28, Plate 4, Figures 29, 30, Text figures 19–21;
Hartman 1966
, p 35
–37, Plate 10,
Figures 7
– 9;
Knox and Cameron 1998
, p 71
.
Flabelligera pennigera
Ehlers 1908
, p 123
–124, Plate 16, Figures 9, 10;
Günther 1912
, p 13
;
Monro 1930
, p 161
;
Hartman 1953
, p 51
,
Hartman 1966
, p 39
, Plate 11,
Figures 5
,
6
, (aff.);
Hartmann-Schröder and Rosenfeldt 1989
, p 72
–73.
Flabelligera induta
:
Hartman 1953
, p 50
(
partim
,
non
Ehlers).
Type material
Antarctic Ocean
:
holotype
of
Flabelligera gourdoni
Gravier, 1906
(MNHN-446) collected off
Port Charcot
,
Carthage Bay
,
Booth Island
(65
°
089S,
64
°
029W
),
Wilhelm Archipelago
,
Western
Antarctic Peninsula
, RV
Français
,
Stat.
435, 40 m,
15 April 1904
,
Turquet
, coll.
Additional material
Four specimens (
MNHN-A184
) collected during the
Paris Museum Cape Horn Mission
, 1883, Stat. P-1460 (damaged, most outer cuticle removed, two complete ones are
12– 25 mm
long, 1.5–2.0 mm wide, cephalic cage 1.5–2.0 length, 18–35 chaetigers).
Two
specimens broken in two pieces, previously dried out (ZMB-4485), collected in the
Kerguelen Islands
,
Deutsche Tiefsee Expedition
; they were put in 70% ethanol to reduce further damage (they are 11.5/
17 mm
long, 3/
4.5 mm
long, 32/35 chaetigers).
Southwestern Atlantic Ocean
: one anterior fragment (SMNH-55705), collected during the
Swedish
South Polar Expedition
1901–03, Stat. 33 (54
°
229S, 36
°
289W),
Grytviken
,
South Georgia Island
,
22 m
, mud and algae,
30 May 1902
(
12.5 mm
long,
2.8 mm
wide, cephalic cage
2 mm
long, 22 chaetigers).
Two
specimens (SMNH-55724), one without outer cuticle, collected during the
Swedish
South Polar Expedition
1901–03, Stat. 37a (54
°
229S, 36
°
289W),
Grytviken
,
South Georgia Island
, in rocks,
14 June 1902
(
13–17 mm
long,
2 mm
wide, cephalic cage 1.0–
1.5 mm
long, 26–35 chaetigers;
one specimen
with anterior region with large nodular sediment spots; posterior region contracted).
One
specimen (SMNH-55728), damaged, collected during the
Swedish
South Polar Expedition
1901–03, Stat. 55 (52
°
119S, 60
°
269W),
Port Albermarle
,
Falkland Islands
,
40 m
, sand with algae,
8 September 1902
(
13 mm
long,
2 mm
wide, cephalic cage
1 mm
long, 31 chaetigers).
One
specimen (SMNH-55733), collected during the
Swedish
South Polar Expedition
1901–03, Stat. 1,
May Bay
,
Mouth of West Fjord
, South Georgia
Islands
,
on
Macrocystis
holdfasts,
3 May 1902
(
28 mm
long,
3.5 mm
wide, cephalic cage
3.5 mm
long, 34 chaetigers)
.
Figure 4.
Flabelliderma gourdoni
(
Gravier, 1906
)
n. comb.
(A) Holotype (MNHN-446) in lateral view; (B) same, close-up of the anterior end in lateral view; (C) same, posterior end in lateral view; (D) same, close-up of papillae of the neuropodial lobe; (E) same, tip of neurohook from a median parapodium with surrounding cuticle and a papilla tip; (F) non-type specimen (MNHN-A184), anterior end in ventral view with two copepod egg-masses indicated by arrows; both removed, slightly enlarged as inserts above it. Scale bars: 3.8 mm (A); 0.8 mm (B); 1.0 mm (C); 110 Mm (D, E); 50 Mm (F).
Description
Holotype
(MNHN-446) complete, whitish, tapering slightly posteriorly, with some parapodia previously removed (
Figure 4A
). Body scarcely papillated (papillae eroded); papillae forming small rounded sediment tubercles (40–50 per segment); each papilla long, subdistally swollen, mucronate (dorsal ones mostly lost), making noto- and neurochaetal lobes well defined, but distal portion of papillae mostly detached from the core (
Figure 4B, D
), more evident in posterior chaetigers (
Figure 4C
). It is
26.5 mm
long,
3 mm
wide, cephalic cage
2 mm
long, 20 chaetigers.
Prostomium a low cone; four dark eyes, anterior ones larger. Caruncle well developed, with low marginal keels, central area slightly higher than the margins. Palps thick, corrugated, appearing annulated; palp bases rounded, small. Lateral lips well developed; ventral and dorsal lips not seen (to avoid further damage to the specimen). Branchiae thick; branchial groups with branchiae arranged in rows; each group with about 40 filaments. Nephridial lobes not examined to avoid further damage.
Cephalic cage chaetae as long as two-thirds body width; 18–20 neurochaetae, 26–28 notochaetae. Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger papillated. Chaetigers 1–3 of about the same length. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt; neurohooks present from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes not seen.
Parapodia well developed, lateral; median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodial lobes ovoid projections, made by elongate subdistally swollen papillae, their distal part being detached, giving a hairy or loose appearance. Dorsal sediment tubercles much smaller than notopodial lobes (most eroded) (
Figure 4B
). Neuropodia conical lobes covered by a similar chaetal lobe, not covering the whole neurohook, with similar papillae (
Figure 4D
).
Median notochaetae arranged in a short transverse line; eight to nine multiarticulated capillaries per fascicle, as long as one-fourth to one-third body width, with articles long basally and medially, becoming shorter distally. Neurochaetae multiarticulated hooks from chaetiger 2. Handle articulation with two longer articles medially, proximal article about half as long as distal one, more distal articles shorter. Crest slightly darker, tapering, tip blunt, curved distally (
Figure 4E
).
Posterior end tapering (
Figure 4C
); pygidium with anus terminal, short muscular ring, no anal cirri. One specimen collected in May (SMNH-55733) had ova of about 125 Mm. Another specimen (MNHN-A184) has two parasite egg-masses in the cephalic area (
Figure 4F
); one is complete, oval,
1 mm
long with about
10 eggs
in line; another one broken. In both cases there is a thin membrane and a very thin, transparent, short peduncle attaching it to the flabelligerid anterior end.
Discussion
Flabelliderma gourdoni
(
Gravier, 1906
)
n. comb.
is unique in having hirsute notopodial lobes, which is due to the fact that their papillae have long mucrones and they are sediment-free. It includes
F. pennigera
Ehlers, 1908
; the latter was described on the basis of having notochaetal lobes resembling feathered projections, which is precisely the diagnostic feature for
F. gourdoni
.
On the other hand,
F. pennigera
was described as having neurohooks from chaetiger 3, not from chaetiger 2 as is the case in
F. gourdoni
. However, the second parapodia are ventrally displaced, giving the impression that first neurohooks appear in chaetiger 3, when the adjacent notochaetae are regarded as second chaetiger neurochaetae.
Distribution
Besides the
type
locality, it has been recorded in Antarctic and subantarctic areas in deep water (
76–385 m
).
Flabelliderma lighti
n. sp.
(
Figure 5
)
Flabelliderma essenbergae
:
Light 1978
, p 685
–686,
Figures 1–4
(
partim
,
non
Hartman 1961
).
Type material
Eastern Pacific Ocean
:
holotype
(CAS-168303) collected in
Old Sealer’s Cove
(
Old Sealer’s Station
), southeastern side of
Isla Guadalupe
(28
°
539N, 118
°
189W),
Mexico
, miscellaneous scrapings in low intertidal, associated with yellow sponge that turned red purple in preservation, staining the polychaete,
1 January 1975
,
W. L. Lee
and
A. J. Ferreira
, coll.
Figure 5.
Flabelliderma lighti
n. sp.
, holotype (CAS-168303). (A) Dorsal view; (B) anterior end in dorsal view; (C) eversible anterior end in frontal view; branchiae and palps removed; (D) median body chaetigers, seen from below, showing a large globular papilla; (E) tip of a neurohook from a median parapodium, broken, with some papillae. Scale bars: 1.5 mm (A, B); 0.9 mm (C); 0.3 mm (D); 45 Mm (E).
Description
Holotype
(CAS-168303) complete, red purple, fusiform with blunt ends, slightly damaged (
Figure 5A
). Body densely papillated, papillae grouped in tubercles, dorsally and laterally long, clavate, thin, smooth (about 20–22 per segment); ventrally densely papillated with smaller rounded tubercles. Papillae long covering noto- and neurochaetae, with adherent sediment particles (
Figure 5B, D
). It is
19 mm
long,
4 mm
wide (
6 mm
including notopodia), cephalic cage
1.5 mm
long, 33 chaetigers (an anterior ventral dissection already made).
Prostomium high cone with four dark eyes (not clearly seen against the red purple colour). Caruncle present, wide basally, medially elevated, projected dorsally. Palps missing; palp bases rounded, large. Branchial groups with about 40 filaments. Two nephridial lobe scars, placed towards the dorsal margin, separated from the branchiae (
Figure 5C
).
Cephalic cage chaetae short, one-twelfth as long as body or two-thirds as long as body width (excluding notopodia); chaetae densely covered by papillae, difficult to count. Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger without papillae, probably eroded. Anterior notopodia without especially long papillae. Chaetigers 1–3 of about the same length. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt, neurohooks present from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes not seen.
Parapodia well developed, placed on the body corners; median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodial lobes ovoid, rough projections, made by loosely packed globular papillae. Dorsal sediment tubercles thin, smaller than notopodial lobes, mostly of a single size; soft (
Figure 5D
). Most papillae cylindrical, with long distal nipplelike projections. Some large globular papillae outside the notopodial lobes. Neuropodia shorter lobes, masked by elongate papillae almost completely covering the neurohooks.
Median notochaetae arranged in a transverse short line, tips not exposed, four to five multiarticulated capillaries per bundle, as long as half body width, with short articles basally and medially, longer distally. Neurochaetae multiarticulated hooks from chaetiger 2, mostly a single hook per ramus. Handle articulation with three longer articles, proximal one shorter, the others slightly longer. Crest darker, tapering, acute, slightly curved distally (
Figure 5E
).
Posterior end tapering; pygidium with anus terminal, without anal cirri.
Discussion
Some of the specimens herein regarded as members of
Flabelliderma lighti
n. sp.
and
F. ockeri
n. sp.
were included by
Light (1978)
in
F. essenbergae
, which is a junior synonym for
F. papillosa
.
These two species are different regarding the dorsal sediment tubercles, since they are soft, clavate, pedunculate in
F. lighti
n. sp.
, while they are stiff, with a wide base and sessile in
F. ockeri
n. sp.
Flabelliderma lighti
n. sp.
is closely allied to
F. papillosa
.
As stated above, they differ in the relative size and number of dorsal sediment tubercles. In
F. lighti
they are smaller than the notopodial lobes and more abundant per segment, while in
F. papillosa
they are at least of about the same size as the notopodial lobes and less abundant per segment. Further, they come from different environments:
F. lighti
was associated with a low intertidal sponge, collected on a rocky shore, while
F. papillosa
is free-living in mixed bottoms, in crevices, in intertidal or subtidal depths.
Etymology
This species is named after William J. Light, who made important publications on spionids and maldanids, and especially solved some problems in the taxonomy of flabelligerids.
Distribution
Currently only known from the
type
locality in shallow subtidal rocky shores in
Guadalupe Island
,
Mexico
, associated with a yellow sponge
.