Namanereis cavernicola ( Solis-Weiss & Espinasa, 1991)

Conde-Vela, Victor Manuel, 2017, The troglomorphic adaptations of Namanereidinae (Annelida, Nereididae) revisited, including a redescription of Namanereiscavernicola (Solis-Weiss & Espinasa, 1991), and a new Caribbean species of Namanereis Chamberlin, 1919, Subterranean Biology 23, pp. 19-46 : 22-23

Namanereis cavernicola ( Solis-Weiss & Espinasa, 1991) Fig. 1

Lycastilla cavernicola Solís-Weiss & Espinasa, 1991: 632-635, figs 1 a–e, 2 a–f.

Namanereis cavernicola Glasby, 1999: 83-86 (partim).

Type locality.

Izote Cavern, Guerrero, Mexico, 1650 m above sea level.

Material examined.

Paratypes USNM 136559 (2), Izote Cavern, (18°36'40"N, 99°33'25"W), Guerrero, Mexico 1650 m above sea level, 20 November 1988, Coll. L. Espinasa.

Description.

Paratypes in excellent condition, one complete; 29 mm long, 1.1 mm wide at chaetiger 10, 69 chaetigers. Body pale, without pigmentation (Fig. 1A, C). Prostomium wider than long, anterior margin incised, groove present (Fig. 1 A–B); antennae cirriform, as long as prostomium; eyes absent (Fig. 1B). Tentacular ring as long as first chaetiger; three pairs of tentacular cirri, superficially annulated, longest one reaches chaetiger 4 (Fig. 1A); cirrophores 1.5-2.0 times longer than wide.

Parapodial cirri pattern: Dorsal cirri sub-equal to neuroacicular lobes in anterior chaetigers, becoming longer than neuroacicular lobes toward posterior end, basally inserted throughout body. Ventral cirri shorter than neuropodial lobes, basally inserted throughout body.

In anterior chaetigers (Fig. 1F), dorsal cirri subequal to neuropodial lobes; neuropodial lobes subconical, twice longer than wide, twice longer than ventral cirri; ventral cirri half as long as dorsa cirri ones. In middle chaetigers (Fig. 1G), dorsal cirri twice longer than neuropodial lobes; neuroacicular lobes subconical, twice longer than wide, twice longer than ventral cirri; ventral cirri one-third to one-half as long as dorsal ones. In posterior chaetigers (Fig. 1H), dorsal cirri 1.2 to 1.5 times longer than neuropodial lobes; neuropodial lobes subconical, 1.5 times longer than wide, 3 times longer than ventral cirri; ventral cirri one-third to one-half as long as dorsal ones.

Notochaetae absent. Neurochaetae in type D arrangement, i.e. supra-acicular chaetae heterogomph falcigers (Fig. 1D) and sesquigomph spinigers in pre- and post-acicular fascicles respectively; sub-acicular chaetae heterogomph falcigers with short (Fig. 1E) or long blades and spinigers in pre-acicular fascicles. Supra-acicular sesquigomph spinigers pectinated, teeth minute, decreasing in size towards tip; sub-acicular heterogomph falcigers pectinated, teeth minute, tip falcate, decreasing in length towards tip (Fig. 1 D–E).

Pygidium tripartite; a pair of anal cirri cirriform, short, as long as pygidium (Fig. 1C).

Remarks. Solís-Weiss and Espinasa (1991) proposed Lycastilla with this species based on the presence of jointed antennae, cleft prostomium and notoaciculae with recurved tips. Posteriorly, Glasby (1999) regarded such features as insufficient and synonymized Lycastilla with Namanereis Chamberlin, 1919. The original description matches well with the species examined. Glasby (1999) redescribed the species with paratypes and non-type material from the Caribbean; however, part of his Caribbean material is herein regarded as a distinct undescribed species (see below).