Polycirrus phosphoreus Verrill, 1880

Glasby, Christopher J. & Hutchings, Pat, 2014, Revision of the taxonomy of Polycirrus Grube, 1850 (Annelida: Terebellida: Polycirridae), Zootaxa 3877 (1), pp. 1-117 : 91

Polycirrus phosphoreus Verrill, 1880

Fig. 50a–e

Polycirrus phosphoreus Verrill, 1880: 181 .

Type locality. Cape Cod , USA .

Material examined. SYNTYPE: USNM 9275 , USA, off Cape Cod , US Fisheries Commission, St. 307, 57 m (31 fms), coll. 25.viii.1879 .

Description. Syntypes poorly preserved with body wall damaged, fragile and slightly dehydrated and chaetae mainly intact, pale golden in colour. Syntypes consist of two individuals, one in three pieces consisting of bunch of buccal tentacles; anterior fragment 10 mm long, 3 mm wide for 18 segments; and mid-posterior fragment 7 mm long, 2 mm wide for about 20 segments; possibly these fragments were originally joined. Other specimen 15 mm long, 2 mm wide for about 70 segments, all buccal tentacles absent, both syntypes incomplete. Sex, one type female, other sex unknown.

Dorsum anteriorly faintly tessellated, becoming ridged posteriorly. Venter anteriorly with mid-ventral groove and poorly defined ventro-lateral pads; pads incised with transverse grooves. Mid-ventral groove from segment 4 ( Fig. 50a ).

Buccal tentacles numerous of two types: (1) cylindrical, thickened distally and distinctly grooved and (2) cylindrical, uniformly thin and weakly grooved, both arising at junction between prostomium and upper lip. Prostomial ridge slightly curved, extending laterally along anterodorsal base of upper lip. Upper lip comprising single (medial), rectangular-shaped lobe only, margin of lobe strongly convoluted; oral surface glandular, ciliated, with grooves leading to mouth. Inner lower lip oblong, hidden by upper lip, ridged and tessellated; outer region flat, shield-like, subtriangular and pointing toward mouth, tessellated, extending posteriorly to segment 3. Achaetous segments visible dorsally but obscured by expanded outer lower lip ventrally.

Notochaetigerous segments 24, extending to approximately segment 26. Notopodia more-or-less rectangular, lobes both similar, low and rounded ( Fig. 50b ). Notochaetae within a chaetiger consisting of one type (chaetigers 7, 19 examined), gradually elongating from dorsal to ventral, minutely hirsute, uniformly tapered, posteriorly same form as those anteriorly ( Fig. 50c ). Neurochaetae beginning on segment 10. Neuropodial tori ridge-like, differ along body, becoming more glandular and slightly more erect posteriorly. Uncini with short neck and straight to convex base (Type 1), teeth above main fang arranged in double transverse series ( MF:1:13) enlarged median tooth above main fang present, subrostral process present as low rounded protuberance ( Fig. 50d,e ) .

Nephridial papillae present, cylindrical. Pre-gular membrane nephridial papillae present on segments 3–4. Post-gular membrane nephridial papillae present, extending from segment 5 to 13; situated at base of notopodia.

Figures

FIGURE 50. Polycirrus phosphoreus Verrill. Holotype USNM 9275. a. Anterior ventral view. b. Right side anterior lateral view of notopodium, chaetiger 7. c. Notochaeta from chaetiger 7 illustrated at x40 and x100. d. Lateral view of uncinus from chaetiger 14. e. Lateral and frontal views of uncini from posterior chaetiger.