Syllis picta (Kinberg, 1865) n. comb.

Figures 9 C–E, F3, F4, 10F–I, 11

Eurymedusa picta Kinberg, 1865: 249, fig. 4. Non Eurymedusa picta Ehlers, 1904: 21, pl. 3, figs. 5–9; 1907: 7. Syllis (? Synsyllis) gracilis Non Grube, 1840, Augener 1927: 148.

Syllis (Typosyllis) gracilis Non Grube, 1840 Augener 1913: 206 . Haswell 1920: 97, pl. 10, fig. 15. Non Syllis picta Grube, 1870: 499 .

Syllis gracilis australiensis Hartmann-Schröder, 1979: 87, figs. 46–48; 1980: 49; 1989: 18.

Material examined. Type specimens. Eurymedusa picta . NEW SOUTH WALES. Port Jackson, 33°54'S, 151°11’E, 1866, coll. Kinberg, syntype (SMNH 6864).

Non-type specimens. AUSTRALIA. QUEENSLAND. Lizard Island, High Rock, 14°49'34"S, 145°33’08”E, coral rubble, 20.1 m depth, 11 Sept 2010, 1 specimen mounted for SEM (AM W41634.001); Lizard Island, south of Mermaid Cove, 14°38'53"S, 145°27'0"E, 14.5 m depth, 1 Sept 2010, 1 specimen (AM W41708); Lizard Island, Bommie Bay, 14°39'35"S, 145°28'16"W, coral rubble, 10.5 m depth, 9 Sept 2010, 2 specimen (AM W41720, AM W41721), Lizard Island, MacGillivray Reef, 14°38'52"S, 145°28'16"W, coral rubble, 14 m depth, 31 Aug 2010 (AM W41726); Lizard Island, south of Mermaid Cove, 14°38'53"S, 145°27'00"W, coral rubble, 14.5 m depth, 1 Sept 2010, 5 specimens (AM W41727, W42422– W42425); Lizard Island, MacGillivray Reef, 14°39'23"S, 145°29'31"W, coral rubble, 22 m depth, 29 Aug 2010, 3 specimens (AM W41729, W42426, W42427); Lizard Island, Outer Yonge Reef, Great Barrier Reef, 14°36’00”S, 145°38'00"E, coral rubble, 30 m depth, 24 Jan 1977, 5 specimens (AM W48036). NEW SOUTH WALES. Burrill Rocks, NSW 1278, 1 May 1997, 1 specimen (AM W29509). Golf course bommie, 500 m north-east of Ulladulla Head, 35°20'29"S, 150°29'12"E, gravel around base of boulders, 15 m, 2 May 1997, 3 specimens (AM W48037). WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Long Reef, sublittoral reef inner lagoon, 13°54'56"S, 125°46'28"E, 2 m depth, 22 Oct 2010, 1 specimen (AM W.41618); Cassini Island, forereef slope, 13°55'56"S, 125°37'06"E, hard corals, encrusting soft corals and hydroids, 12 m depth, 16 Oct 2010, 1 specimen (AM W41632); Montgomery Reef, mid-littoral containment, 15°56'40"S, 124°16'00"E, coral rubble, 0 m depth, 22 Oct 2009, 1 specimen (AM W42433); Montgomery Reef, lower-littoral fore-reef terrace, 15°51'19"S, 124°18'52"E, coral rubble and coarse sand, 0 m depth, 20 Oct 2009, 1 specimen (AM W42441); Montgomery Reef, mid-littoral reef terrace, 15°52'44"S, 124°19'36"E, coral rubble and sand, 0 m depth, 20 Oct 2009, 3 specimens (AM W42442–W42444); Montgomery Reef, mid-littoral fore-reef ramp, 15°53'54"S, 124°10'54"E, Thalassia sp., 0 m depth, 21 Oct 2009, 1 specimen (AM W42445); Montgomery Reef, mid-littoral channel ramp, 15°57'35"S, 124°16'09"E, algal turf, small tidally bossed coral colonies, 0 m depth, 1 specimen (AM W42446); Adele Island, mid-littoral reef platform, 15°29'28"S, 124°16'00"E, coral rubble covered with Padina sp., 0 m depth, 20 Oct 2009, 7 specimens (AM W.42434–W42440); Montgomery Reef, mid-littoral fore-reef ramp, 15°52'35"S, 124°19'48"E, coral rubble, 0 m depth, 20 Oct 2009, 8 specimens (AM W42448–W42455); Adele Island, sublittoral fore-reef slope, 15°33'28"S, 123°08'02"E, 12.5 m depth, 18 Oct 2009, 1 specimen (AM W42447); Montgomery Reef, midlittoral reef terrace, 15°52'44"S, 124°19'36"E, coral rubble and sand, 0 m depth, 20 Oct 2009, 2 specimens (AM W42456, W42457); Montgomery Reef, subtidal lower terrace, 15°58'05"S, 124°16'55"E, coral rubble and coralline sand, 0 m depth, 22 Oct 2009, 1 specimen (AM W42459); Goss Passage, north end of Long Island, 28°28'18"S, 113°46'18"E, dead coral covered in coralline algae, 8 m, 22 May 1994, 20 specimens (AM W48038); north end of Long Island, Goss Passage, 28°27'54"S, 113°46'18"E, dead coral covered in coralline and brown algae, 5 m depth, 22 May, 1994, 1 specimen (AM W48039); Goss Passage, south east end of Long Island, 28°28'48"S, 113°46'30"E, dead coral in calcareous substrate, 30 m, 22 May 1994, 6 specimens (AM W48040); Kimberley region, East Montalivet Island, 15°06’00”S, 125°18'00"E, intertidal, 6 m depth, 16 July 1988, 17 specimens (AM W48041); Kimberley region, south side of North Slate Island, 15°32’00”S, 124°24’00"E, lower intertidal rocks, 9 July 1988, 3 specimens (AM W48042); off south end of Long Island, Beacon Island, 28°28'48"S, 113°46'18"E, dead coral covered in coralline algae, 4–5 m, 25 May 1994, 1 specimen (AM W48043); Goss Passage, south east end of Long Island, 28°28'48"S, 113°46'30"E, dead coral covered in coralline algae, 8 m, 22 May 1994, 3 specimens (AM W48044); Houtman Abrolhos, Beacon Island, Goss Passage, 28°25'30"S, 113°47’00”E, dead coral plates covered in coralline algae, 8 m, 22 May 1994, 1 specimen (AM W48045); Kimberley region, Long Reef, 13°58'00"S, 125°38'00"E, 25 m depth, 17 Jul 1988, 1 specimen (AM W48046); Kimberley region, west side of Cassini Island, 13°57'00"S, 125°37'00"E, 18 Jul 1988, 2 specimens (AM W29540). NORTHERN TERRITORY. Darwin Harbour, off Nightcliff, Old Man's Rock, 12°28'30"S, 130°54’12"E, coral rubble, sponges and hydroids, 5–7 m depth, 17 July 1993, 2 specimens (AM W29506); Lee Point, Darwin Harbour, 12°20'00"S, 130°53'48"E, coral rubble, 3 m depth, 11 July 1993, 2 specimens (AM W48047).

Morphologically similar species. Syllis gracilis and Sylis ypsiloides (see material examined above)

Description. Longest examined specimen incomplete, 23 mm long, 0.25 mm wide, with 53 chaetigers. Body slender, anterior segments pigmented, each with one reddish-orange, transversal line (Fig. 9 C). Prostomium oval, wider than long, with two pairs of red eyes in trapezoidal arrangement (Figs 9 C, 10F, 11A). Median antenna inserted on middle of prostomium, between anterior pair of eyes, with 12–13 articles (Figs 9 C, 10F, 11A); lateral antennae shorter, inserted at anterior margin of prostomium, with 8–9 articles (Figs 9 C, 10F, 11A). Palps triangular, longer than prostomium. Nuchal organs not seen. Peristomium slightly shorter than subsequent segments. Dorsal tentacular cirri similar in length to median antenna, with 13–14 articles, ventral ones shorter with 10–11 articles (Figs 9 C, 10F, 11A). Anterior dorsal cirri with 12–14 articles (Figs 9 C, 10F, 11A); midbody and posterior dorsal cirri spindle-shaped, shorter than anterior ones, with 9–11 articles (Figs 9 D–E, F3, 11B). Anterior parapodia with 8–10 bidentate, falciger chaetae. Bidentate blades with both teeth similar in length, and several spines on margin (Figs 10 G, 11C). Each midbody and posterior parapodia with three chaetae, with shorter blades and enlarged shafts: 1–2 ypsiloid chaetae, originated from fusion of blade and shaft, fusion line distinguishable (Figs 9 F4, 10H–I); and 1–2 falcigers slightly bidentate (Fig. 10 I, 11D). Some posteriormost parapodia presenting dorsal and ventral simple chaetae, slightly bidentate, with spines on margin (Fig. 11 E–F). Three to four straight aciculae in each anterior parapodia (Fig. 11 G); midbody parapodia with two aciculae each, one distally pointed and other distally blunt (Fig. 11 H); posterior parapodia with only one distally blunt acicula each (Fig. 11 I). Pharynx much longer than proventricle, extending through 17–18 segments (Figs 9 C, 11A); conical tooth located on anterior margin. Proventricle through 5 segments with about 32 muscle cell rows (Figs 9 C, 11A).

Remarks. Morphological differences between S. picta n. comb. and S. gracilis have been described above. The main differences with S. ypsilodes are the number per parapodium and shape of midbody chaetae, since S. ypsilodes presents only two chaetae, one unidentate falciger and one ypsiloid chaetae, whereas S. picta n. comb. presents three chaetae, one or two falcigers sometimes slightly bidentate and one ypsiloid chaeta (compare Fig. 10 – I and Aguado et al. 2008 for comparisons). Syllis picta Grube, 1870 (non Syllis picta Kinberg, 1865) was considered by Licher (1999) as synonimous of Typosyllis violacea (Grube, 1870), so it is not an homonym of Syllis picta n. comb.

Habitat. Coral rubble, algae.

Distribution. Australia (New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory).