Paradiopatra calliopae Arvanitidis & Koukouras, 1997

Paxton, Hannelore & Arias, Andrés, 2016, The identity of Paradiopatra bihanica (Annelida: Onuphidae) and reinstatement of P. calliopae, Zootaxa 4132 (2), pp. 283-286 : 284-286

Paradiopatra calliopae Arvanitidis & Koukouras, 1997

Paradiopatra calliopae Arvanitidis & Koukouras, 1997: 53 –58, figs 1, 2, table 1; Martínez & Adarraga 2001: 143 –145, fig. 5 (Basque Country, Spain).

Onuphis lepta— Amoureux 1970 (Taranto, Italy). Not Chamberlin, 1919.

Nothria lepta— Amoureux 1972: 13 –14 (Galicia, Spain Atlantic); Desbruyères et al. 1972 (Catalonia, Spain, Mediterranean); Campoy 1982: 555. Not Chamberlin, 1919.

Paradiopatra bihanica—? Budaeva & Fauchald 2011: 350 –353, fig. 19 (in part); Arias & Paxton 2015: 151 –155, figs 1–3; Santelli et al. 2015: 269 –274, fig. 2. Not Intes & LeLoeuff, 1975.

Material examined. Three specimens (AM W.47762), COCACE station C1 (43.74°N – 05.69°W), 150 m depth, 80.04% sand, 8.28% silt, 11.68% clay, Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay, 0 1 Mar 1987; 13 specimens (AM W.47763), COCACE station D2 (43.81°N – 05.75°W), 161 m depth, 90.88% sand, 3.46% silt, 5.66% clay, Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay, 29 Jun 1987; 6 specimens ( MNCN 16.01/16628), COCACE station D2 (43.81°N – 05.75°W), 161 m depth, 90.88% sand, 3.46% silt, 5.66% clay, Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay, 29 Jun 1987; Several from the same locality for SEM studies; 4 specimens ( MNCN 16.01/16629), N of San Sebastián (Basque Country), 43º 22.59’ N – 02º 03.70’ W –43º 22.16 N – 02º 05.76’ W, 104–107 m depth, Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay, 24 Jun 1991, coll. Fauna Ibérica II.

Diagnosis. Based on specimens wider than 0.3 mm at chaetiger 10 excluding parapodia. Eyes present; palps reaching peristomium to chaetiger 1, lateral antennae reaching chaetigers 4–11, median antenna reaching chaetigers 3–7; ceratophores with 3–5 rings, without lateral projections. Peristomial cirri present. Anterior three pairs of parapodia modified; ventral cirri on first three chaetigers. Modified parapodia with bidentate pseudocompound hooks with moderately long pointed hoods; from chaetiger 4 replaced by limbate chaetae; lower limbate chaetae replaced from chaetiger 9 by subacicular hooks and pectinate chaetae with slightly oblique combs with 15–20 teeth, rarely as few as 10–14. Branchiae pectinate, starting as single filaments from chaetigers 10–14, with up to three filaments; absent from chaetiger 35–40. Tubes cylindrical with inner parchment-like layer and thick outer layer of mud particles, sometimes with some shell fragments incorporated.

Remarks. The redefinition of P. bihanica based on its holotype and original description indicated that the synonymisation of P. calliopae with the former species was unwarranted. Hence, the latter is here reinstated as the correct name for this common Mediterranean and eastern North Atlantic species.

The specimens reported by Arias and Paxton (2015) from the Bay of Biscay were re-examined and the median antenna was found to be consistently shorter than the lateral ones, as had been reported by Martínez & Adarraga (2001) from Iberia. The collections reported by Budaeva & Fauchald (2011) from West Africa may represent a variant of P. calliopae or an undescribed species.

Distribution. Eastern Atlantic, Iberia, and the Mediterranean Sea; questionably West Africa.

Thanks to Tarik Meziane (MNHN) for the loan of the holotype and two referees for their careful reading of the manuscript. This is a contribution from the Fauna Ibérica Project, subprojects “Polychaeta IV” (ref. CGL2007-66786- CO8-02/BOS) and “Polychaeta V” (ref. CGL2010-22267-CO7-03/BOS), and the Marine Observatory of Asturias ( OMA).