Hesiobranchia lifouensis, Ruta & Pleijel, 2006

Ruta, Christine & Pleijel, Fredrik, 2006, A new branchiate hesionid polychaete (Annelida, Hesionidae) from New Caledonia, Zoosystema 28 (3), pp. 655-667 : 656-657

Hesiobranchia lifouensis n. sp.

( Figs 1-3 )

“Undescribed hesionid from Lifou, Loyalty Islands ” – Pleijel & Rouse 2004: fig. 2.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Loyalty Islands. Lifou, Santal Bay, Cape Aimé Martin, 20°46.7’S, 167°02.6’E, among dead Acropora , 20 m, scuba, 11.XI.2000, coll. F. Pleijel,

A new branchiate hesionid polychaete ( Annelida ) from Loyalty Islands holotype ( MNHN POLY TYPE 1446 , and two slides with parapodia 1447, 1448) ; 1 paratype ( MNHN POLY TYPE 1449 , and four slides with parapodia 1450-1453). — Lifou, Santal Bay, Cape Aimé Martin , 20°45.51’S, 167°01.98’E, among dead corals, 25 m, scuba, 21.XI.2000, coll. F. Pleijel, 1 paratype ( MNHN POLY TYPE 1454 ) ; 1 specimen (mounted for SEM, in F. Pleijel’s collection).

ETYMOLOGY. — Named for the type locality, Lifou.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.

DESCRIPTION

Figures

FIG. 1. — Live picture of Hesiobranchia lifouensis n. gen., n. sp., paratype (MNHN POLY TYPE 1449), dorsal view, c. 5 mm in length.

FIG. 2. — SEM pictures of Hesiobranchia lifouensis n. gen., n. sp.:A, anterior end, dorsal view; B, anterior end, ventral view;C, median segments, dorsal view; D, median parapodia, left side; E, chaetae from median segments, antero-dorsal view; F, median parapodia, left side, antero-ventral view. Scale bars: A-C, 0.3 mm; D, 150 µm; E, F, 60 µm.

FIG. 3. — LM pictures of of Hesiobranchia lifouensis n. gen., n. sp.: A, paratype (MNHN POLY TYPE 1449), parapodium segment 5, left side; B, holotype (MNHN POLY TYPE 1446), parapodium segment 12, right side. Abbreviations: br, branchia; dc, dorsal cirrus. Scale bar: 2 mm.