Polycirrus carolinensis Day, 1973

Glasby, Christopher J. & Hutchings, Pat, 2014, Revision of the taxonomy of Polycirrus Grube, 1850 (Annelida: Terebellida: Polycirridae), Zootaxa 3877 (1), pp. 1-117 : 33-36

Polycirrus carolinensis Day, 1973

Fig. 14a–e

Polycirrus carolinensis Day, 1973: 122 , fig. 16m –p.

Type locality. North Carolina, USA .

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: USNM 43122 , USA, off Beaufort North Carolina 34º04'N 75º25'W 20 m, coll. J.H. Day, 24.xi.1965.

Description. Holotype well preserved, body wall cut in places to reveal nephridia, chaetae mainly intact, cream in colour, 10 mm long and 1.0 mm wide excluding buccal tentacles, complete with about 60 segments. Sex unknown, no coelomic gametes visible.

Dorsum anteriorly smooth, thin body wall. Venter anteriorly with mid-ventral groove and discrete ventrolateral pads; pads more-or-less smooth, extending from segment 4 to 10. Mid-ventral groove from segment 5 ( Fig. 14a).

Buccal tentacles detached (scars present) and missing, arising dorsally on prostomial ridge. Prostomial ridge distinctly curved, extending laterally along anterodorsal base of upper lip. Upper lip comprising single (medial) lobe only, margin of lobe convoluted; oral surface glandular and ciliated. Inner lower lip subtriangular, hidden by upper lip, smooth; outer region flat, shield-like, subtriangular and pointing toward mouth, smooth, extending to posterior margin of segment 3. Achaetous segments visible dorsally but obscured by expanded outer lower lip ventrally.

Notochaetigerous segments 29, extending to segment 31. Notopodia more-or-less rectangular with bulbous bases, lobes both similar, low, rounded ( Fig. 14b). Notochaetae consisting of two types (chaetigers 4, 18 examined), hirsute, uniformly tapered, posteriorly same form as those anteriorly; secondary notochaetae in all chaetigers pinnate ( Fig. 14c). Neurochaetae beginning on segment 8. Neuropodial tori ridge-like, differ along body, posterior ones slightly curved and erect. Uncini with short neck and straight to convex base (Type 1), teeth above main fang arranged in double transverse series (MF:1:7–10), enlarged median tooth above main fang present, subrostral process present as low, rounded protuberance ( Fig. 14d–e).

Nephridial papillae present, cylindrical, elongate. Pre-gular membrane nephridial papillae absent. Post-gular membrane nephridial papillae present, extending from segment 5 to 10; situated at ventral base of notopodia. Pygidium smooth ring.