Leonnates crosnieri, León-González & Salazar-Vallejo, 2003

León-González, Jesús Angel De & Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2003, Four new nereidid species (Annelida, Polychaeta) collected during the MUSORSTOM cruises in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, Zoosystema 25 (3), pp. 365-375 : 366-368

Leonnates crosnieri n. sp. ( Fig. 1 )

TYPE MATERIAL.— New Caledonia. MUSORSTOM

4, stn 147, 19°35’S, 163°39.6’E, 43 m, 13.IX.1985, holotype (MNHN-POLY 73), 4 paratypes (MNHN- POLY 74).

ETYMOLOGY.— The specific name is an hommage to Dr Alain Crosnier (MNHN) for his sustained support in the MUSORSTOM cruises and especially by his help to develop this study.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED.— New Caledonia.

MUSORSTOM 4, stn 146, 19°53.4’S, 163°47.1’E,

33 m, 13.IX.1985, 3 specimens (UANL 5078). — LAGON, stn 741, 22°14.8’S, 167°02.8’W, 77-80 m, 13.VIII.1986, Richer de Forges coll., 1 specimen (ECOSUR).

DISTRIBUTION.— Known only from New Caledonia region, in 33-80 m depth.

DESCRIPTION

The holotype is a complete specimen with 89 setigers, 51 mm long and 7 mm wide including parapodia, without evident pigmentation. Prostomium wider than long, with a pair of frontal antennae directed ventrally, biarticulate palps spherical with conical palpostyles. Two pairs of small eyes in trapezoidal arrangement, anterior ones bigger. Peristomium longer than next two segments, four pairs of short tentacular cirri, longest pair reaching setiger two ( Fig. 1A ).

Pharynx with paragnaths and papillae in maxillary ring, only papillae on oral ring: I = 0; II = 10 paragnaths; III = 5 papillae in line; IV = 8-10 paragnaths; V = 0; VI = 18-19 papillae in group; VII-VIII = 4 lines of papillae. Mandibles smooth, without teeth.

Anterior parapodia with notopodium formed by dorsal and ventral ligule, as well as superior lobe subequal, dorsal cirri thin inserted basally; neuropodium with postsetal lobe longer, ventral ligule subulate. Ventral cirri thin ( Fig. 1B ). Middle parapodia with dorsal ligule longer than in anterior parapodia, superior lobe digitiform, median ligule thin; neuropodium with reduced postsetal lobe, ventral ligule subulate ( Fig. 1C ). Posterior parapodia similar to median ones, but with superior lobe reduced to a small digitiform process ( Fig. 1D ).

Notosetae in anterior and middle parapodia with homogomph spingers; in posterior parapodia with both, three or four homogomph spinigers and a homogomph falciger with long blade, with 14 to 18 small teeth in their internal margin, superior tooth blunt ( Fig. 1G ). Supracicular neurosetae in anterior parapodia only sesquigomph falcigers, blades basally toothed ( Fig.1E ); setae middle and posterior parapodia similar to the anterior ones, and homogomph spinigers. Infracicular neurosetae in anterior parapodia only two homogomph spinigers, accompanied by numerous sesquigomph falcigers with toothed blade in the whole internal margin ( Fig. 1F ); in middle and posterior parapodia only sesquigomph falcigers similar to anterior ones.

Pygidium with terminal anus and two short anal cirri.

REMARKS

The species of Leonnates can be separated by the presence and development of parapodial structures in two groups: those with only dorsal and median ligules (two structures), and those that also present the superior lobe markedly developed (three structures); most species belong to the last group: L. crinitus Hutchings & Reid, 1991 ,

L. crosnieri n. sp., L. indicus Kinberg, 1866 , L. niestraszi Horst, 1924 , L. nipponicus Imajima, 1972 , L. persicus Wesenberg-Lund, 1949 , and L. stephensoni Rullier, 1965 ; L. jousseaumei Gravier, 1901 was synonymized with L. indicus by Qui & Qian (2000).

Leonnates crosnieri n. sp. is close to L. indicus ; however, they can be separated by the number of papillae in area VI, as well as in the distribution of the superior lobe of parapodia along the body. In the new species, area VI has 18-19 papillae in group, and superior lobe is present throughout the body; in contrast, L. indicus has eight or nine papillae in area VI, and lacks superior lobe in posterior parapodia, also in this species the notopodial homogomph falcigers is present only in a few posterior parapodia, in L. crosnieri n. sp. these falcigers are present in middle and posterior parapodia.

Genus Neanthes Kinberg, 1866

Figures

FIG. 1. — Leonnates crosnieri n. sp.; A, anterior region, dorsal view; B, setiger 10, anterior view; C, setiger 30, anterior view; D, setiger 58, anterior view; E, neuropodial supracicular sesquigomph falciger from anterior parapodium; F, neuropodial infracicular sesquigomph falciger from middle parapodium; G, notopodial homogomph falciger from posterior parapodium.Scale bars: A, 1 mm; B-D, 300 µm; E-G, 30 µm.