Golfingia (Golfingia) muricaudata (Southern)

Hsueh, Pan-Wen & Kuo, Chia-Ming, 2009, New records of sipunculan worms from Taiwan, Zootaxa 2067, pp. 51-61 : 56

Golfingia (Golfingia) muricaudata (Southern)

Fig. 2 E

Golfingia (Golfingia) muricaudata Cutler, 1994 : Cutler 1994: 66, fig. 18E (for complete synonymy).

Material examined. One specimen (NMNS-5928-008), Station D9 (25˚21.04′ N, 121˚36.66′ E), offshore from Bali, Taipei County, northwestern Taiwan, bottom dredge (44 m deep), fine sand bottom, coll. C.-M. Kuo, 1 July 2008.

Remarks. Only two species, Golfingia anderssoni (Théel) and G. muricaudata , in the subgenus Golfingia possess a peculiar caudal appendage, which separates these two species from the remaining nine members ( Golfingia birsteini Murina , G. capensis (Teuscher) , G. elongata (Keferstein) , G. iniqua (Sluiter) , G. margaritacea margaritacea , G. m. ohlini (Théel), G. mirabilis Murina , G. vulgaris vulgaris (de Blainville), G. v. herdmani (Shipley)) of the subgenus known globally ( Cutler 1994). Moreover, G. muricaudata can be distinguished from G. anderssoni by the lack of large bladderlike papillae at the base of the caudal appendage ( Cutler 1994: 66, fig. 18E; present study, Fig. 2 E). Most G. muricaudata specimens are small (<25 mm in length) ( Cutler 1994). The present specimen was 19.2 mm in length, which is within the common body size range. Although the species is commonly found in bathyal and abyssal depths, some records have been reported from shallow depths (i.e. as shallow as 85 m in the North Pacific, 60–70 m in upwelling areas off Ivory Coast) ( Cutler 1994). The present report marks the shallowest record for the species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A, Sipunculus robustus Keferstein. B, Siphonosoma funafuti (Shipley). C, Siphonosoma vastum (Selenka and Bülow). D, Golfingia margaritacea margaritacea (Sars). E, Golfingia muricaudata (Southern, 1913). F, Thysanocardia nigra (Ikeda). Scalebars: A-E, 10 mm; F, 2.5 mm. G, Themiste minor minor (Ikeda), H, Phascolosoma arcuatum (Gray). I, Phascolosoma glabrum glabrum (Sluiter). J, Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri Diesing. K, Aspidosiphon coyi de Quatrefages. Scalebars: G, 5 mm; H – J, 10 mm; K, 2.5 mm.