Polycirrus angeli, Londoño-Mesa, 2009

Londoño-Mesa, Mario H., 2009, Terebellidae (Polychaeta: Terebellida) from the Grand Caribbean region 2320, Zootaxa 2320 (1), pp. 1-93 : 21-22

Polycirrus angeli sp. nov.

Figures 5D–G

Type material: Holotype UANL 6490 Hornos, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico (19°18'N 91°11'W), 30.V.2003; Pl.3 . Paratypes UANL 6491 (3) Hornos, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico, (19°18'N 91°11'W), 30.V.2003; Pl.2 .

Additional material: Gulf of Mexico: Veracruz State: UANL 4190 (1) Boquillas de Oro , 10.VIII.1999 ; BO-01. UANL 4193 (2) Villa Rica , 10.VIII.1999 ; VR-02. UANL 4194 (1) Villa del Mar , 1.VIII.2000 ; V-02. UANL 4705 (1) Boquillas de Oro , 11.VII.2000 ; BO-01. UANL 4707 (3) Villa Rica , 11.VII.2000 ; VR-03. UANL 4909 (1) Villa del Mar , 12.VII.2000 ; V-05. UANL 4710 (1) Villa del Mar , 12.VII.2000 ; V-06. UANL 5508 (1) Blanca , 14.IV.2002 ; Pl. 2. UANL 5986 (1) Hornos , 14.VII.2002 ; Pl. 2. UANL 6004 (3) Hornos , 16.VI.2002 ; Pl. 1. UANL 6492 (2) Blanca , 16.I.2002 ; Pl. 1. UANL 6493 (1) Blanca , 14.IV.2002 ; Pl. 1. UANL 6494 (3) Hornos , 30.V.2003 ; Pl. 1. UANL 6495 (1) Pajaros , 30.V.2003 ; Pl. 2. UANL 6496 (1) Pajaros , 16.VI.2003 ; Pl. 2. UANL 6497 (1) Blanca , 21.VII.2002 ; Pl. 1. Panamanian Pacific : ECOSUR TERE-13 (1) Sherman Fort, Colon, 2.VI.2002 . TERE-13 (four vials with 2,2,3, 6 specimens each one) Club Nautico, Colon, 3.VI.2002 .

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Jesus Angel de Leon-Gonzalez, for his great contribution to the knowledge of Mexican polychaetes. Also, he was the collector of the type specimens and of almost all the additional specimens.

Description: Holotype complete, 56 segments; 17mm long and, 0.8mm wide. Dorsum smooth ( Fig. 5D ). Tentacles long, and short, with swollen tips. Upper lip fused to the tentacular membrane, folded in the base. Lower lip swollen, well developed, and close to first ventral shield. Three pairs of nephridial papillae from segment 4, short, digitiform, between notopodia and ventral shields ( Fig. 5E ). Nine pairs of ventral shields from segment 1, large, swollen; last 4 pairs of shields larger. Thirty-one pairs of notopodia, from segment 2, long, each with one small terminal cirrus ( Fig. 5F ); notochaetae of two types on the same notopodium, smooth lancelolate, and pinnate. Neuropodia from segment 7; uncini MF:3:2–3:0–2 ( Fig. 5G ); USr wide; SrP slightly visible; SrA absent; AP rounded; AF absent; Bs convex; PP rounded; PF absent; Cp slightly curved, with three rows of teeth over the MF. Pygidium narrow; five anal papillae.

Staining Pattern: Deep staining pattern on ventral shields and glandular tissue ventral to neuropodia from segments 10–11. The remaining structures, including the digitate nephridial papillae, do not stain significantly.

Variations: Additional specimens have 45–53 segments, 4.6–8mm long, thorax 5mm long and 0.3–1mm wide. Some variation is shown also in the number of pairs of notopodia. Specimens with complete thorax have 20–25 pairs of notopodia. Thus, P. angeli sp. nov. has variable number of pairs of notopodia, from 20– 31. The number of nephridial papillae is variable; one additional specimen has digitate papillae on segments 2–4, while others have them on segments 2–6, with those on segments 4–6 longer. Thus, it could be that the maximum number of papillae in the species is 6, and they are more numerous and better developed depending on body size and sexual maturity. Finally, there are up to 10 ventral shields and up to 10 lobes in the pygidium in some specimens.

Discussion: Polycirrus angeli sp. nov., is similar to P. plumosus ( Wollebaek, 1912) , from Norway, and other species, by having two types of notochaetae. Nevertheless, it differs from other species previously described and from P. plumosus by the range and number of pairs of notopodia, the segment on which uncini first appear, and the number of nephridial papillae. According to Holthe (1986a), P. plumosus has 17–19 segments with notochaetae, uncini on the first abdominal segment, and nephridial papillae from segments 3–8 or 9.

Type locality: Hornos , Veracruz, Mexico .

Distribution: Lower Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Panamanian coast.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Lysilla caribe sp. nov., (UMML 22.1000 2Cc): A. Ventral view. B. Fascicle of notochaetae from segment 4. C. Parapodia from segment 8. Polycirrus angeli sp. nov., (Holotype UANL 6490): D. Thoracic region in dorsal view. E. Thoracic region in ventral view. F. Fascicle of notochaetae from segment 8. G. Uncini from segment 8. Scale bars: A,D,E: 1mm; B,C,F: 0.5mm; G: 0.02mm.