Neogyptis undefined-a

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 : 493

NEOGYPTIS SP. A

Material examined: One spm fixed in 95% ethanol, posterior part used for molecular analysis ( SIO-BIC A2505 ), US, Florida Keys, Spanish Harbor Key Borrow , 24°39.430′N, 81°18.155′W, intertidal, amongst sand, stones, and Halimeda sp. , colls FP and GR, 5.iii.2010 .

Description: Posteriorly incomplete, 3.5 mm long for 18 segments. Live specimen transparent whitish; eyes red. Prostomium rounded rectangular, about as wide as long.

Palpophores cylindrical, palpostyles tapering; palpophore length 1/3 of palpostyles. Paired antenna as long as palps but thinner, cylindrical, with demarcated tips. Median antenna without distinct tip, length 1/3 of paired antennae, inserted anterior to anterior pair of eyes. Anterior pair of eyes larger than posterior pair, weakly kidney-shaped; posterior pair rounded. Nuchal organs not observed. Lip pads absent. Proboscis terminal ring with ten papillae. Non-everted proboscis reaching segment 8. Dorsal cirri and cirrophores segment 1–5 much longer and stouter than following ones, ventral cirri segment 1–4 with well-delineated cirrophores and longer and stouter cirri than on following segments. Segment 5 with neuropodial lobes, neurochaetae and ventral cirri similar to following segments, segment 6 with notopodial lobes and notochaetae. Dorsal cirri reaching slightly further than neurochaetae. Notochaetae of two kinds only observed, about 20 capillary chaetae with two alternating rows of teeth, and single chaetae with one side subdistally serrated. Neurochaetae about 20, all unidentate compounds, dorsal median blades much longer than ventral ones. Ventral cirri inserted distally near tip of of neuropodium, with distinct tips.

Habitat: Sand and Halimeda , intertidal.

Distribution: Known only from a single specimen from Spanish Harbor Key Borrow, Florida Keys.

Remarks: Neogyptis sp. A may be close to N. plurisetis but we have at present not enough information to assess this; the number of proboscis papillae appears to be smaller in Neogyptis sp. A , although this may be size-related.