Membranopsis Bush, 1910

Ten Hove, Harry A. & Kupriyanova, Elena K., 2009, Taxonomy of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta): The state of affairs, Zootaxa 2036, pp. 1-126 : 62

Membranopsis Bush, 1910

Type-species: Membranopsis inconspicua Bush, 1910

Number of species: 1

Tube not known. Specimen without branchial crown, thus all radiolar characters not known. Mouth palps not known. 9 thoracic chaetigerous segments. Collar quadrilobed; thoracic membranes wide, forming apron; tonguelets between ventral and lateral collar lobes not known. Collar chaetae damaged, apparently limbate. Subsequent chaetae limbate. Apomatus chaetae present from 7 th chaetiger onwards. Uncini [along entire body?] similar to those in Protula and Apomatus . Abdominal chaetae “curved somewhat in crescent shape rather narrow and abruptly tapering toward the tip” [? thus sickle-shaped?]. Achaetous anterior abdominal zone, long posterior capillary chaetae and glandular pad not known.

Remarks. This monotypic taxon is ill-defined and known from Bush’s (1910) very sketchy original description only. Based on type comparison (by Gayle Playa, pers. comm.), Membranopsis inconspicua is most likely synonymous with Salmacinopsis setosa Bush, 1910 , also with 9 thoracic chaetigers, probably a Protula species , an opinion shared with Chamberlin (1919 a: 479); the latter taxon was referred to Protula setosa by Perkins (1998: 95). Since the generic name had not been formally synonymized yet, we mention it in this account, without number, but we regard it to be an invalid genus.