Flabelligera sordida ( de Quatrefages, 1849 )

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2012, Revision of Flabelligera Sars, 1829 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae) 3203, Zootaxa 3203 (1), pp. 1-64 : 34-36

Flabelligera sordida ( de Quatrefages, 1849) reinstated

Figure 14

Chloraema sordidum de Quatrefages 1849:285–286 , Pl. 9, Figs. 10–13 , Pl. 10, Figs. 6 , 7 , 9 .

Flabelligera sordidum: Günther 1912:12– 13 n. comb.

Type material. Northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Holotype of Chloraema sordidum de Quatrefages, 1849 ( MNHN- 466 ), juvenile, damaged, most dorsal tunic previously removed ( Fig. 14A ), Brehat , Brittany, France.

Additional material. Northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Three specimens ( BMNH- 1955.8.22.1/3), Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands , Spring 1955, Capt. Tottom, coll. Mediterranean Sea. Two specimens ( MNHN-184 ), Ile Pescade, Algiers, Algeria, 9 Jun. 1928 .

Description. Large, non-type specimen (BMNH-1955), pale brown, tapering posteriorly, slightly depressed ( Fig. 14B ); 43 mm long, 5 mm wide, cephalic cage 3 mm long, 40 chaetigers. Tunic thick, transparent, mostly without sediment ( Fig. 14D ). Papillae mostly long, subdistally swollen, mucronate; notopodial papillae vesicular, globose, forming a band over the inferior notochaetae in anterior and median chaetigers ( Fig. 14C, E ), 5–30/31 (MNHN-184), less abundant in posterior chaetigers.

Cephalic hood not exposed. Anterior end observed in one smaller specimen (BMNH). Prostomium low cone, with four large, dark-brown eyes. Caruncle well developed, extended posteriorly, but not extending beyond branchial plate margin ( Fig. 14F ); median lobe swollen, slightly pigmented, lateral areas pale, thin. Palps large, dark brown, twisted; palp bases rounded, elevated. Lateral and dorsal lips pigmented, fused, well developed; ventral lip reduced.

Branchiae whitish, separated into two lateral groups, each group with three rows and about 50 filaments, decreasing in size ventrally; longest branchiae about 3/4 as long as palps. Nephridial lobes double, tubular projections, slightly darker than surrounding area.

Cephalic cage chaetae about as long as 1/15 body length or 3/5 body width. Chaetiger 1 involved in cephalic cage, about 40 noto- and 46 neurochaetae per fascicle. Anterior dorsal margin of chaetiger 1 papillated. Anterior chaetigers without especially long papillae. Chaetiger 1 much longer than chaetiger 2, chaetiger 2 shorter than chaetiger 3. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt; long, multiarticulated neurohooks from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes not seen.

Parapodia well developed, lateral; median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodial lobes long, distally rounded, with many long, clavate, mucronate papillae, and a series of globular, dense papillae along the inferior notochaetae ( Fig. 14G ); posterior notopodia with larger, globular, dense papillae ( Fig. 14G , insert), extended dorsally. Neuropodial lobes conical, long, with abundant, long, subdistally swollen, mucronate papillae.

Median notochaetae arranged in short, transverse rows; all notochaetae multiarticulated capillaries, as long as 2/3 body width, about 18 per fascicle, with short articles basally, longer articles medially and distally. Neurochaetae multiarticulated capillaries in chaetiger 1; long, multiarticulated neurohooks from chaetiger 2 ( Fig. 14H ). Handle articulation irregular, articles enlarging distally; 3 articles: one medium sized, two long. Other articles anchylosed, small, continuing to bending region. Crest slightly wider than handle, dark brown along the body, with darker distal half; width:length ratio 1:7.

Posterior end tapering to a blunt cone; pygidium with two achaetous segments, anus terminal, without anal cirri.

Remarks. Flabelligera sordida ( de Quatrefages, 1849) is distinguished from other species with transparent tunics, mostly single neurohooks from chaetiger 2, relatively short crests, and homogeneous body pigmentation because it has large, distinct globular papillae. They can be seen easily with a stereomicroscope in two body regions: along the inferior notochaetae in anterior chaetigers, whereas in median and posterior chaetigers they can be found towards the dorsal surface as well. These two features were stated by de Quatrefages (1849:286): “(Les poils) sont seulement plus forts, et, par cela même, leur structure est plus facile à reconnaître. Le renflement de ceux des corps est généralement sphérique;” This translates as: ‘The papillae are only larger and, by this, their structure is easier to be noticed. The distal swell in those from the body is generally spherical.’

Further, the relative length of the neurohooks was not stressed in the original description, although there are some indirect indications in the figures ( de Quatrefages 1849, Pl. 10, Fig. 9 ); the anterior end in ventral view shows that neurohooks can be as long as the body width, and this could be another useful means to separate this species from other, similar ones. The holotype is a small, juvenile specimen; perhaps the larger specimen (30 mm long) which was the one illustrated, became destroyed. The holotype has spherical, notopodial papillae but other features are apparently seen only in larger, probably adult specimens.

Distribution. From the Atlantic French coast to the Mediterranean ( Algeria) and to the Canary Islands, in shallow subtidal rocky areas.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Flabelligera infundibularis Johnson, 1901. A. Lectotype (MCZ-2503), ventral view. B. Same, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, anterior end, ventral view. D. Paralectotype (LACM-AHF-535), head, frontal view (Ca: caruncle, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar, VL: ventral lip). E. Non-type specimen (USNM 186478), head, frontal view (BS: branchial scars, PS: palp scar). F. Lectotype, detached neurohook. G. Same, crest (insert: handle articulated portion). Scale bars: A: 7 mm, B: 2.4 mm, C: 2 mm, D, F: 0.5 mm, E: 1 mm, G: 112 µm.

FIGURE 7. Flabelligera luctator (Stimpson, 1856), topotype specimens (BMNH-1936.10.16.152–7). A. Complete specimens. B. Largest syntype, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, head, frontal view (LL: lateral lip, NL: nephridial lobe, PS: palp scar). D. Same, chaetigers 4–7, ventral view (GL: gonopodial lobes). E. Same, chaetiger 5, neurohooks (insert: articulated portion of handle). F. Same, chaetiger 11, neurohook (insert: articulated portion of handle). Scale bars: A: 10 mm, B: 2.3 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 0.8 mm, E: 225 µm, F: 160 µm.

FIGURE 9. Flabelligera nuniezi n. sp. A. Holotype (MNHN/1530), dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Same, chaetigers 3– 9, left neuropodia, showing gonopodial lobes by arrows. D. Same, chaetiger 10, neurohook. E. Same, chaetiger 22, neurohook. F. Non-type specimen (ZMUC unnumb.), median neurohook (insert: close up of handle anchylosed region). Scale bars: A: 1.3 mm, B: 1.1 mm, C: 0.2 mm, D: 90 µm, E: 100 µm, F: 250 µm.

FIGURE 10. Flabelligera orensanzi n. sp. A. Holotype (MACN-In 39270), dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, ventral view. C. Paratype (CENPAT), head, frontal view, palps and branchiae removed, prostomium slightly eroded (BS: branchial scars, LL: lateral lip, PS: palp scar). D. Paratype (ECOSUR), chaetiger 9, neurohook (insert: articulated region of handle). E. Non-type specimen (MNHN-884), head, frontal view, two copepod parasites indicated by arrows (Ca: caruncle, BS: branchial scar, VL: ventral lip). Scale bars: A: 0.8 mm, B: 1 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 225 µm, E: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 11. Flabelligera pergamentacea Ehlers, 1913. A. Non-type specimen (ZIRAS-16343), lateral view. B. Same, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Large syntype (ZMB-6774), broken into two pieces, dried out. D. Non-type specimen (ZMH-8592), dried out. E. Non-type specimen (ZIRAS-16343), agglutinated sediment particles on tunic surface. F. Same, chaetiger 10, neurohook (inserts: crest and handle articulated region). Scale bars: A: 2.5 mm, B: 0.5 mm, C: 1.3 mm, D: 1.5 mm, E: 35 µm, F: 50 µm.

FIGURE 12. Flabelligera picta Ehlers, 1913. A. Non-type specimen (ZMH-24295), dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, anterior end, ventral view. D. Same, median chaetiger, notochaetae (inserts: basal and subdistal chaetal regions). E. Same, chaetiger 5, neurohooks (inserts: articulated regions and crests). F. Paratype (ZMH-8591), lateral view. Scale bars: A: 3 mm, B: 0.8 mm, C: 0.7 mm, D: 250 µm, E: 260 µm, F: 1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Flabelligera salazarae n. sp. A. Holotype (ECOSUR 117), dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, ventral view. C. Paratype (ECOSUR), head, frontal view, palps and most branchiae removed (BS: branchial scars, Ca: caruncle, LL: lateral lip, NL: nephridial lobe, PS: palp scar, VL: ventral lip). D. Holotype, chaetigers 3–6, left side, ventral view, methyl green stained, arrows point gonopodial lobes. E. Same, chaetiger 24, neurohook (inserts: multiarticulated region and crest). Scale bars: A: 1.5 mm, B: 1 mm, C: 0.2 mm, D: 0.4 mm, E: 230 µm.

FIGURE 14. Flabelligera sordida (de Quatrefages, 1849) reinstated. A. Holotype (MNHN-466), dorsal view. B. Non-type specimen (BMNH-1955.8.22.1/3), anterior end, dorsal view. C. Same, posterior end, dorsal view. D. Non-type specimen (MNHN-184), irregular, lateral view. E. Same, median chaetigers showing globular papillae. F. Same, head, frontal view, methyl green staining. G. Non-type specimen (BMNH-1955.8.22.1/3), chaetiger 4, notopodium (insert: globular papillae from posterior chaetiger). H. Same, chaetiger 12, neurohook (insert: multiarticulated region). Scale bars: A: 1.5 mm, B: 1.1 mm, C: 1.3 mm, D: 3.3 mm, E: 0.4 mm, F: 0.2 mm, G: 0.6 mm, H: 320 µm.