Neogyptis carriebowcayi, Pleijel & Rouse & Sundkvist & Nygren, 2012

Pleijel, Fredrik, Rouse, Greg W., Sundkvist, Tobias & Nygren, Arne, 2012, A partial revision of Gyptis (Gyptini, Ophiodrominae, Hesionidae, Aciculata, Annelida), with descriptions of a new tribe, a new genus and five new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 165 (3), pp. 471-494 : 479-482

NEOGYPTIS CARRIEBOWCAYI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 4 , 5 )

Type material: Holotype ( SIO-BIC A2467 ), + 100 paratypes ( SIO-BIC 2468–2476 , 2508 ).

Type locality: Belize, north of Carrie Bow Cay , 16°48.805′N, 88°04.902′W, 1 m, sand and amongst Halimeda algae .

Etymology: Named after Carrie Bow Cay, the type locality.

Material examined: BELIZE. Holotype ( SIO-BIC A2467 , fixed in formaldehyde), Carrie Bow Cay , 16°48.2′N, 88°04.5′W, 1 m, sand and Thalassia, SCUBA , coll. FP 18–26.ix.1997; 13 paratypes ( SIO- BIC A2468 , fixed in formaldehyde), same collection data; five spms fixed in osmium and mounted on SEM stubs ( FP collection), same collection data; + 30 paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2469 , fixed in formaldehyde), Carrie Bow Cay , off reef, 26 m, Halimeda sand, SCUBA, coll. FP 23.ix.1997; + 25 paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2470 , fixed in formaldehyde), Curley Cay , 16°47.4′N, 88°04.8′W, 1 m coarse sand, SCUBA, coll. FP 22.ix.1997; three paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2506 , one spm fixed in 95% ethanol); one spm ( SIO-BIC A2471 , fixed in formaldehyde), Carrie Bow Cay , 16°48.162′N, 88°04.913′W, 1 m, sand, SCUBA, coll. FP 3.xi.2006; one paratype ( SIO-BIC A2472 , fixed in formaldehyde) and six spms (fixed in 95% ethanol, destroyed for DNA sequencing), Twin Cays , Lair Channel , 16°49.675′N, 88°06.047′W, 0.5 m, mangrove, SCUBA, coll. FP 5.xi.2006; nine paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2507 , two spms fixed in 95% ethanol, SIO-BIC A2473 , eight spms fixed in formaldehyde), and 11 spms ( FP collection), fixed in osmium and mounted on SEM stubs, Carrie Bow Cay , outside reef, 16°48.190′N, 88°04.669′W, 15 m, Halimeda sand, SCUBA, coll. GR 8.xi.2006; 20 paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2474 , five spms fixed in 95% ethanol; SIO-BIC A2475 , six spms fixed in formaldehyde), south of Carrie Bow Cay , Curlew Bank, 16°47.311′N, 88°04.575′W, 15 m, coll. GR 10.xi.2006; six paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2508 , fixed in 95% ethanol), north of Carrie Bow Cay, 16°48.805′N, 88°04.902′W, 2 m, Halimeda sand, coll. FP 11.xi.2006; ten paratypes ( SIO-BIC A2476 , fixed in formaldehyde), same collection data; ten spms ( FP collection, fixed in osmium and mounted on SEM stubs), same collection data.

Description: Length up to 6.5 mm for 28 segments (holotype, measured live, relaxed). Live animals transparent with light yellow gut ( Fig. 4 ). Preserved animals whitish, some with dark dorsal and ventral cirri. Eye colour red, pigment often lost in preserved specimens. Body outline elongated elliptical to cylindrical ( Fig. 4 ) Prostomium slightly wider than long ( Fig. 5A ). Palpophores cylindrical, palpostyles elongated, evenly tapering to rounded tips; palpostyles longer than palpophores ( Fig. 5A, B ). Paired antennae slightly thinner and shorter than palps, of even width with last third tapering to fine tips. Median antenna similar to paired antennae but much shorter ( Fig. 5B ), inserted well in front of eyes. Eyes large, anterior pair twice as large as posterior and positioned further apart, both pairs almost coalescing. Nuchal organs ciliated bands along lateral sides of prostomium, almost meeting mid-dorsally ( Fig. 5A ). Lip pads absent. Proboscis smooth, with proximal and distal ring, opening with terminal ring of ten conical papillae ( Fig. 5C ). Non-everted proboscis reaching segment 8–9 ( Fig. 4 ). Segment 1 dorsally reduced, following segments fully developed. Dorsal cirri and cirrophores segment 1–5 longer and stouter than following ones, with dorsal cirri segment 1 reaching about segment 8–9, dorsal cirri segment 2 reaching about segment 11, dorsal cirri segment 3 reaching about segment 11–12, dorsal cirri segment 4 reaching about segment 11, and dorsal cirri segment 5 reaching about segment 11–12. Ventral cirri segment 1–4 with well-delineated cirrophores and much longer and stouter cirri than on following segments, with ventral cirri segment 1 reaching about segment 5–6, ventral cirri segment 2 reaching about segment 6–7, ventral cirri segment 3 reaching about segment 7, and ventral cirri segment 4 reaching about segment 7–8. Segment 5 with neuropodial lobes, neurochaetae, and ventral cirri similar to following segments, segment 6 with notopodial lobes and notochaetae. Elevated and longer dorsal cirri on segment 8, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23. Shorter dorsal cirri reaching as far as or slightly further than chaetae ( Fig. 5D ). Transverse dorsal ridges absent. Notopodial aciculary lobes conical. Notochaetae of three kinds, single bent chaeta emerging near tip of acicula, about 25 capillary chaetae with two alternating rows of teeth, and two to three ventrally positioned curved chaetae with conical side subdistally serrated. Prechaetal neuropodial lobes elongated triangular. About 25 neurochaetae, all unidentate compounds, dorsal and median blades up to four times longer than ventral. Usually single noto- and neuroaciculae. Ventral cirri inserted distally on neuropodium, tapering to fine points ( Fig. 5E ). Pygidial cirri much longer than dorsal cirri; pygidial papilla absent ( Fig. 5F ).

Biology: Not fully mature females and males observed in September and November (the only months when specimens were collected).

Habitat: Found in sand and coarse sand at 1–26 m depth.

Distribution: Only known from Carrie Bow Cay and Twin Cays in Belize.

Remarks: Neogyptis carriebowcayi shares red eye colour with N. crypta and N. mediterranea , but differs from the former in having notochaetae from segment 6, rather than from segment 5, and from the latter in having ten papillae in the terminal proboscis ring, rather than 20–32, and in the absence of high dorsal ridges on the posterior half of dorsum.

Figures

Figure 4. Neogyptis carriebowcayi sp. nov., dorsal view of live relaxed paratype (SIO-BIC A2475), 3.7 mm long excluding cirri.

Figure 5. Neogyptis carriebowcayi sp. nov., scanning electron microscopy photographs of specimens from the type locality. A, anterior end, dorsal view. B, anterior end, ventral view. C, proboscis opening. D, parapodia segment 5–7, left side, dorsal view. E, parapodia segment 6–8, right side, anteroventral view. F, posterior end, ventral view. Scale bars = A, B, D–F = 100 Mm, C = 50 Mm.