Harmothoe aequespina ( Langerhans, 1884 ) Barnich & Fiege, 2009

Barnich, Ruth & Fiege, Dieter, 2009, Revision of the genus Harmothoe Kinberg, 1856 (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) in the Northeast Atlantic, Zootaxa 2104 (1), pp. 1-76 : 15-18

Harmothoe aequespina ( Langerhans, 1884) n. comb.

( Figs. 5 , 7A–I )

Lagisca aequespina Langerhans, 1884: 252 , pl. 15 fig. 8a–e.

Harmothoe goreensis Augener, 1918: 142 , pl. 2 figs. 4–6, pl. 3 fig. 42, textfig. 7; Day (1967): 69, fig. 1.9n –r; Barnich & Fiege (2000): 1924 , fig. 18A–D; Barnich & Fiege (2003): 45, figs. 20, 21A–D [new synonymy].

Harmothoe cascabullicola Brito, Nuñez & Bacallado, 1991: 185 , figs. 2A,B, 3A–K [new synonymy].

Type material. L. aequespina: Fragments of syntypes (2 mf, 1 pf, several elytra), NHMW 235; Madeira, ded. 1884.

H. goreensis : 2 syntypes, ZMH V 8651 , W Africa, Ambrizette ( Angola), 12 m, leg. A. Hupfer (1889), det. Augener (1917).

H. cascabullicola : paratype, TFMC AN/00113 ; Canarias, Tenerife, St. 32(2), Barranco Hondo , 119 m, on Dendrophyllia ramea .

Additional material. Mediterranean: 1 spm. (af, pharynx everted), SMF 12471, Marseille, Riou, fond à Peyssonnelia polymorpha , 17 March 1955, Coll. Pérès. 1 spm., SMF 9235, Banyuls-sur-mer, coralligène, September 1994, leg. D. Fiege.

(For further material see Barnich & Fiege 2000 and 2003).

Diagnosis. Anterior pair of eyes dorsolateral at widest part of prostomium. Elytral papillae numerous at outer lateral margin, scattered at posterior margin; surface covered by rounded to conical microtubercles with blunt tip.

Description (based on additional specimens, SMF 12471 for anterior end and SMF 9235 for remaining parts, since type material in rather poor condition).

Body with 38 segments. At anterior end ( Fig. 7A ), prostomium bilobed, with distinct cephalic peaks; ceratophore of median antenna in anterior notch, lateral antennae inserted ventrally, styles of antennae papillate, slightly inflated subdistally, then abruptly tapering; anterior pair of eyes situated dorsolaterally at widest part of prostomium, posterior pair dorsally near hind margin of prostomium; palps papillate, tapering.

Tentaculophores inserted laterally to prostomium, each with two notochaetae and a dorsal and ventral tentacular cirrus, styles of cirri papillate, slightly inflated subdistally, then abruptly tapering. Second segment with first pair of elytra, biramous parapodia, and long buccal cirri. Following segments with tapering, short ventral cirri.

Fifteen pairs of elytra, covering dorsum, on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, then on every second segment to 23, 26, 29, 32; last six segments cirrigerous; elytral papillae numerous at outer lateral margin, scattered at posterior margin; surface covered by rounded to conical microtubercles with blunt tip ( Fig. 7B,C ). Cirrigerous segments with distinct dorsal tubercles; dorsal cirri with cylindrical cirrophore, style papillate, slightly inflated subdistally, then abruptly tapering.

Parapodia biramous; notopodia with elongate acicular lobe; neuropodia with elongate prechaetal acicular lobe with digitiform supra-acicular process; neuropodial postchaetal lobe shorter than prechaetal lobe, rounded; tips of noto- and neuroacicula penetrating epidermis ( Fig. 7D ). Notochaetae stouter than neurochaetae, with distinct rows of spines and blunt tip ( Fig. 7E,F ); neurochaetae with distinct rows of spines, mostly bidentate with distinct secondary tooth, some lower unidentate ( Fig. 7G–I ).

Measurements. L. aequespina , syntype (mf), NHMW 235, W 5 mm for 7 segments. H. goreensis , largest syntype, ZMH V 8651: L 10.5 mm, W 4 mm for 36 segments. H. cascabullicola , holotype, TFMC (cf. Brito et al. 1991): L 17 mm, W 4 mm for 38 segments. Specimens figured: SMF 12471, L 7 mm, W 5 mm for 14 segments (af; Fig. 7A ); SMF 9235, L 21 mm, W 5 mm for 38 segments ( Fig. 7B–I ).

Remarks. Langerhans’ material from Madeira was rediscovered recently in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. Among this material several fragments of the syntypes of Lagisca aequespina Langerhans, 1884 are present, a species which is described and figured accurately in the original description. The elytral and chaetal characters of this species correspond exactly to those of H. goreensis Augener, 1918 (redescribed in Barnich & Fiege 2000), which, thus, becomes a junior synonym of H. aequespina . The comparison of the paratype of H. cascabullicola and the species description by Brito et al. (1991) confirm that this is also a junior synonym of H. aequespina .

Distribution. Northeast to Southeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat. On different substrates, in 8 to 119 m.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Identification characters of Harmothoe fernandi n. sp., H. oculinarum, H. gilchristi, H. aequespina, H. glabra, and H. viridis.

FIGURE 7. Harmothoe aequespina (additional specimens: SMF 12471, Fig. 7A; SMF 9235, Figs. 7B–I). (A) anterior end; (B) left anterior elytron from unknown segment; (C) detail of lateral margin of same; (D) left cirrigerous parapodium from segment 16, posterior view, style of dorsal cirrus missing; (E) long notochaeta; (F) tip of same; (G) middle neurochaeta; (H) tip of same; (I) tip of lower neurochaeta. (Scale: A, B = 2 mm; C–E, G = 250 µm; F, H, I = 100 µm).