Lepidonotus carinulatus (Grube, 1870)

Muir, Alexander I. & Bamber, Roger N., 2008, New polychaete (Annelida) records and a new species from Hong Kong: the families Polynoidae, Sigalionidae, Chrysopetalidae, Pilargiidae, Nereididae, Opheliidae, Ampharetidae and Terebellidae, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 797-814 : 799-800

Lepidonotus carinulatus (Grube, 1870)

Material

One specimen at the entrance and four specimens at the back (station D) of Fan Tsang Chau (Conic Island) Cave , epifaunal samples .

Wu et al. (1997) record L. carinulatus from Hainan Island, the Gulf of Beibu and the South China Sea. It has previously been recorded from Hong Kong by Hanley (1992). The neurochaetae of L. carinulatus are clearly bidentate when examined at high power.

Shin (1982), Hanley (1992), Wang and Huang (1994) and Ong Che et al. (1999) all record Lepidonotus tenuisetosus (Gravier, 1901) from Hong Kong. Wu et al. (1997) record this latter species from the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Lepidonotus squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758) , reported from Hong Kong by both Mak (1982) and Wang and Huang (1994) is recorded from the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, littorally and sub-littorally to 2700 m, under stones and among undergrowth, and also in brackish water ( Chambers and Muir 1997). Wang and Huang (1994) also report Lepidonotus cf. dentatus from Hong Kong. Lepidonotus tenuisetosus , L. squamatus and L. dentatus Okuda in Okuda & Yamada, 1954, all have unidentate neurochaetae. The only other record of the genus from Hong Kong was of an unidentified Lepidonotus species ( Mak 1982) .

The four named species from Hong Kong waters can be separated using the following key. However, as the genus has never been completely revised, and as other species are known from surrounding areas ( Huang 2001), identifications should always be checked against reliable descriptions.

1. Elytra without marginal fringe but with one large conical process in centre of elytra............................ Lepidonotus dentatus

- Elytra with marginal fringe................................. 2

2. Neurochaetae distally bidentate.............. Lepidonotus carinulatus

- Neurochaetae distally unidentate............................. 3

3. Anterior pair of eyes lateral, at the widest part of the head. Posterior pair of eyes near the rear margin of the head........ Lepidonotus squamatus

- Posterior pair of eyes lateral, at the widest part of the head. Anterior pair of eyes further forward................... Lepidonotus tenuisetosus