Polycirrus macintoshi, Glasby & Hutchings, 2014

Glasby, Christopher J. & Hutchings, Pat, 2014, Revision of the taxonomy of Polycirrus Grube, 1850 (Annelida: Terebellida: Polycirridae), Zootaxa 3877 (1), pp. 1-117 : 68-69

Polycirrus macintoshi nomen novum

Fig. 35a–d

Polycirrus kerguelensis McIntosh, 1885 : xx, fig. 32a–d.

Polycirrus kerguelensis McIntosh, 1885: 475 .— Monro, 1930: 194; 1936: 184.— Gravier, 1911: 141–143, pl. 11, fig. 138.— Augener, 1932: 67.— Hartman, 1966: 106–107. (secondary junior homonym—of Ereutho kergulenesis McIntosh, 1885).

Ereutho antarctica .— Willey, 1902: 281, Pl. XLII fig. 6, Pl. XLVI fig. 6. Not McIntosh, 1885.

Type locality. Kerguelen Island, Antarctic.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: BMNH ZK 1885 :12:1:372. St.149 H, 48º45ʹ S, 69º14ʹ E, off Christmas Harbour , Kerguelen Island , 232 m (127 fm), coll. 29.i.1874, dredged volcanic mud. NON-TYPES: AM W827 , Adelie Land Commonwealth Bay, Boat Harbour, 67° S, 142°36ʹ E.

Description. Based on type material plus material of AM W827 collected by the Australian Antarctic Expedition which closely resembles the type fragment. Alcohol preserved animal, pale yellow in colour, 4 mm long, 1 mm wide excluding buccal tentacles, posteriorly incomplete. Sex unknown.

Holotype poorly preserved with body wall damaged and large amounts of the body wall removed, chaetae mainly damaged, thus making the determination of number of segments impossible.

Dorsum anteriorly smooth. Venter anteriorly with mid-ventral groove and discrete ventro-lateral pads; pads more-or-less smooth, extending from segment 2 to 13. Mid-ventral groove from segment 4 ( Fig. 35a ).

Buccal tentacles missing, arising dorsally on prostomial ridge, which extends laterally. Prostomial ridge slightly curved, extending laterally along anterodorsal base of upper lip. Upper lip comprising single (medial) lobe only, margin of lobe convoluted; oral surface glandular, ciliated, with grooves leading to mouth. Inner lower lip oblong, partially hidden by upper lip, smooth; outer region flat, shield-like, oblong, wider than long, smooth, divided in two by transverse groove, extending posteriorly to segment 3. Achaetous segments visible dorsally but obscured by expanded outer lower lip ventrally ( Fig. 35a ).

Notochaetigerous segments 11, extending to segment 13 (determined from non-type specimens). Notopodia and notochaetae damaged. Notochaetae within a chaetiger one type, gradually elongating from dorsal to ventral, hirsute, uniformly tapered ( Fig. 35b ). Neurochaetae beginning on segment 14. Neuropodial tori ridge-like. Uncini with short neck and elongated straight to convex base (Type 1), teeth above main fang arranged in double transverse series, subrostral process present as low, rounded protuberance ( Fig. 35c, d ).

Nephridial papillae not visible.

Comments. McIntosh (1885) described two different species named kergulensis in two different genera ( Polycirrus and Ereutho ). As the two names are now considered to represent the same genus, Ereutho kerguelensis becomes a member of Polycirrus . Unfortunately this renders P. kerguelensis McIntosh, 1885 as a junior homonym on the basis of page priority. We therefore propose a new name, Polycirrus macintoshi n. nom., for P. kerguelensis .

Earlier, Hartman (1966) synonymised E. kerguelensis with P. kerguelensis with no comment. She also gave a composite description of a species with 11–15 pairs of notopodia and neurochaetae from the first to the third last notopodium, which is an unusual configuration. We suggest that at least two species have been confused and all references listed by her on page 106 require a re-examination of material. However, we can confirm that material identified by Gravier (1911) as P. kerguelensis , as listed in the synonymy of Hartman (1966), is correct.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Polycirrus macintoshi n.nom. a.Anterior ventral view, holotype BMNH 1885.12.1.372. b. Notochaeta illustrated at x40, anterior chaetiger AM W826. c. Lateral view of uncinus from anterior parapodia BMNH 1885.12.1.372. d. Lateral views of two uncini from posterior parapodia AM W826, AM W827.