Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder, 1965

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2012, Revision of Flabelligera Sars, 1829 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae) 3203, Zootaxa 3203 (1), pp. 1-64 : 25

Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder, 1965

Figure 8

Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder 1965:225–227 , Figs. 219–221, Rozbaczylo 1985:159.

Type material. Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Holotype ( ZMH-14911 ), bank of mussels, 10 m, 21 Jul. 1958, Stuardo, coll. (label: Rio Deseado , Argentina, 10 Feb. 1960, G. Hartmann, coll.).

Description. Holotype (ZMH-14911) complete, dirty pale ( Fig. 8A ); body cylindrical, posteriorly tapered abruptly (posterior end regenerating); 10 mm long (50 mm in original description [OD]), 2 mm wide (3 mm in OD), cephalic cage 2 mm long, 22 chaetigers (39 in OD). Tunic thick, papillated, mostly removed, without sediment particles; dorsal surface areolated.

Cephalic hood not exposed ( Fig. 8B ). Prostomium low cone; eyes not seen. Caruncle well developed, separating branchial lobes in two lateral groups. Palps massive, short (only right one left); palp bases rounded, low. Lateral lips well developed; ventral and dorsal lips reduced.

Branchiae separated into two lateral groups; each group with branchiae arranged in rows, about 15 filaments per row, decreasing in size ventally, longest about half as long as palps. Nephridial lobes in branchial plate placed about the prostomium level.

Cephalic cage chaetae damaged, as long as 1/5 body length or as long as body width. Chaetiger 1 involved in cephalic cage,>24 noto- and>18 neurochaetae (several broken). Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger smooth. Chaetiger 1 largest, chaetigers 2–3 of about the same length. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt; chaetiger 2 with multiarticulated neurohooks. Gonopodial lobes not seen.

Parapodia well developed, lateral. Median neuropodia ventrolateral. Noto- and neuropodia large, conical lobes, distant from each other, with abundant long papillae.

Median notochaetae arranged in short transverse rows; all notochaetae multiarticulated capillaries, as long as body width, 5–6 per bundle, shorter articles basally, medial and distally longer (superior notochaetae with long articles). Neurochaetae multiarticulated capillaries in chaetiger 1; neurohooks from chaetiger 2, only one per bundle, sometimes a replacement hook visible within neuropodial lobe ( Fig. 8C ). Handle articulation basally placed, articles roughly of the same length; three articles, long. Other articles anchylosed, small, continued to the bending region. Crest as wide as handle, dark brown along the body, with darker portion extending towards the base; width:length ratio 1:5.

Posterior end tapered, regenerating; pygidium projected, truncated cone, with anus terminal, without anal cirri.

Remarks. Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder, 1965 differs from all other species in the genus, especially by having an areolated dorsal surface; this feature was not included in the original description, but it is clearly shown in the original illustrations ( Hartmann-Schröder 1965:226, Fig. 219). The holotype differs in size and chaetiger number from the originally described type; perhaps it was confused after the original description or perhaps this is not the holotype.

Pherusa chilensis Schmarda, 1861 was described with a strange combination of chaetal features, including spirally spinulose notochaetae and bidentate hooks, and with neurohooks typical for Flabelligera . There is no type material available in Vienna (H. Saatmann, Jan 2004, e-mail), where Schmarda’s materials were deposited. After a thorough examination of specimens from Chile, deposited in different museums, and because the features are not expected to be present in the genus, this species is regarded as indeterminable. This peculiar combination of features was employed by Chamberlin (1919b) to propose Pantoithrix ; however, no further specimens have been found to fit this implicit definition. Consequently, Pantoithrix must be regarded as indeterminable as well, as has been stated elsewhere ( Salazar-Vallejo et al. 2008).

Distribution. Restricted to the type locality, Puerto Aguirre, Chile, among mussels, 10 m.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Flabelligera multipapillata Hartmann-Schröder, 1965, Holotype (ZMH-14911). A. Dorsal view. B. Anterior end, dorsal view; greenish due to methyl green staining. C. Same, chaetiger 12, neurohook (insert: basal and distal regions, enlarged). Scale bars: A: 1.7 mm, B: 0.6 mm, C: 150 µm.