Paraprotis Uchida, 1978

Kupriyanova, Elena K., Sun, Yanan, Ten Hove, Harry A., Wong, Eunice & Rouse, Greg W., 2015, Serpulidae (Annelida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 275-353 : 300-301

Genus Paraprotis Uchida, 1978

Type-species. Paraprotis dendrova Uchida, 1978 Diagnosis. (from ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009). Tube white, opaque, circular in cross-section, without longitudinal keels. Granular overlay not observed. Operculum and pseudoperculum absent (or soft globular operculum may be present on second unmodified radiole in P. pulchra ). Arrangement of radioles semi-circular or short pectinate, up to 6 per lobe (up to 32 per lobe in P. pulchra ). Inter-radiolar membrane absent. Branchial eyes (ocellar clusters) present. Stylodes absent. Mouth palps absent, but a spiral projection for brood attachment originates from the right side of the mouth. Collar non-lobed, tonguelets absent. Thoracic membranes narrowing at third chaetiger but continuing to 7th thoracic chaetiger, a narrow apron is probably present. Seven thoracic chaetigerous segments. Collar chaetae limbate. Apomatus chaetae absent. Thoracic uncini of Protis type, sawshaped with about 10 teeth, anterior fang with pointed tip. Thoracic triangular depression not observed. Anterior abdominal chaetae flat narrow geniculate with a row of sharp teeth along its free margin. Abdominal uncini similar to thoracic ones but rasp-shaped. Achaetous anterior abdominal zone present, short (2–4 segments). Long posterior capillary chaetae present. Posterior glandular pad not observed.

Remarks. The genus currently includes two species P. dendrova and P. pu l c h r a (the latter generic attribution questionable), however, our preliminary molecular data (Kupriyanova et al. unpubl.) indicate that these two species are not closely related, thus, P. pulchra should be transferred to another genus.