Questa manuelgerardi, Núñez & Martínez, 2023

Núñez, Jorge & Martínez, Alejandro, 2023, Two new species and records of the genus Questa (Annelida: Orbiniidae) from Azores and Canary Islands, Central Atlantic Ocean, Zootaxa 5319 (3), pp. 403-412 : 405-407

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5319.3.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BA725868-6A83-498E-BA09-BA521389CA29
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8209193
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D3878B-9704-FFAF-FF25-FF265C3BFD23
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Questa manuelgerardi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Questa manuelgerardi View in CoL n. sp.

Figures 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2

Questa sp. Martínez et al. 2021: 133.

Type Material. Azores, S „o Miguel. - Holotype (male) TFMCBM-AN/249, station 13 AZSM Porto da Caloura, 37º42.76’N 25º29.71’W, 17 m, fine volcanic sand, 22-07-2001, coll. J. Núñez GoogleMaps ; Paratypes: TFMCBM-AN/255, 50 specimens, same locality, date, coll. J. Núñez GoogleMaps ; TFMCBM-AN/253, 12 specimens, station 18 AZSM, Ilhéu de Vila Franca, 37º42.42’N 25º26.54’W, sandy substrate, 15 m, 26-07-2001, coll. J. Núñez, Pico. GoogleMaps - Paratypes: TFMCBMAN/256, 4 specimens, station 11 AZP, Ilhéus da Madalena , 38º32.13’N 25º26.54’W, median sand patch, 26 m, 18- 07-2001, coll. R. Herrera GoogleMaps .

Other material examined. S„o Miguel. SEM preparation on stub, DBAULL STUB 1 , station 13 AZSM Porto da Caloura, 37º42.76’N 25º29.71’W, 2 female and 2 male, fine volcanic sand, 22-07-2001, 17 m, coll. J. Núñez GoogleMaps , DBAULL station 14 AZSM, Faial da Terra , 37º44.21’N 25º11.46’W, 2 specimens, gravel patch on rocky substrate, 6 m, 23-07-2001 GoogleMaps ; DBAULL station 17 AZSM, Ponta of Santa Iria , 37º50.14’N 25º28.99’W, 24 specimens, sandy substrate, 17 m, 25-07-2001 GoogleMaps ; DBAULL station 22 AZSM, Ilhéu de Vila Franca, 37º42.42’N 25º26.54’W, 12 specimens, sandy substrate, 15 m, 26-07-2001. Pico GoogleMaps .- DBAULL station 7 AZP, S„o Mateus, 38º25.50’N 28º27.41’W, 1 specimen, gravel, 22 m, 17-07-2001; GoogleMaps DBAULL station 9 AZP, S„o Jo„o Sul , 38º24.49’N 28º20.02’W, 2 specimens, fine sand and gravel with freshwater seepages, 37 m, 17-07-2001. Faial GoogleMaps .- DBAULL station 3AZF, Monte da Guia , 38º31.07’N 28º37.38’W, 3 specimens, shell gravel, 20 m, 15-07-2001, coll. J. Núñez. GoogleMaps

Material examined for comparison. Questa trifurcata ( Hobson, 1970) , ZMUH, P-23408, 1 female ; P-23407, 2 females; P-23409, 1 male and 2 females.

Description. Body elongate and threadlike, holotype length (fixed) 7.10 mm and 37 chaetigers, width in pre-genital region about 0.20–0.23 mm, and 0.15– 0.13 mm in post-genital region. Paratypes length (fixed) about 1.0–6.0 mm and about 28–37 chaetigers, width in pre-genital region 0.20–0.28 mm and 0.18– 0.12 mm post-genitally. Body segments cylindrical in cross–section; slightly marked intersegmental annulation in anterior and middle segments ( Fig. 1A, C View FIGURE 1 ), decreasing posteriorly. Prostomium small, conical, narrow rounded tip, lacking appendages or eyes ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ); nuchal organs paired slits on posterior lateral margins ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Peristomium as wide as the following metastomial segments, without appendages and chaetae; ventrally forming anterior and posterior lips of mouth, followed by a buccal pad ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Pre-genital region with the anterior chaetigers more compressed than the following, and in the post-genital region they progressively narrow towards the pygidium ( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 ; 2D View FIGURE 2 ). Branchiae absent. Parapodia biramous ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ), composed of low mounds with noto- and neurochaetae ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ), with two kinds of chaetae on all chaetigers; pinnate capillaries ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ), and short bidentate hooks ( Fig. 2B, C View FIGURE 2 ). Furcate chaetae absent. Capillary chaetae conspicuously pinnate ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ), ranging from 1–4 in each bundle, reaching up to 5 in the anterior most chaetigers. Bidentate hooks with geniculate shafts, well developed main tooth with subdental ligament ( Fig. 2B, C View FIGURE 2 ) and small upper accessory tooth ( Fig. 2B, C View FIGURE 2 ), 1–2 per bundle. Pygidium bilobed by vertical incision, with two pairs of short dorsal and ventral cirri ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 ; 2D View FIGURE 2 ), anal opening terminal.

Sexually dimorphic. Males have more segments than females, as well as smaller chaetae in chaetigers 12–13, with elevated cup-like or slit-like dorsal fold. Females have no reduction in the size of the chaetae, oocytes in the chaetigers 11–12.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Manuel Gerardo Rodríguez, friend of the first author.

Distribution. Endemic of the Azores.

Remarks. The only species of the genus Questa that lacks branchial appendages are Q. trifurcata ( Hobson, 1970) known only from the east coast of North America and Q. manuelgerardi n. sp., both species can be easily differentiated, since Q. trifurcata has furcate chaetae on the anterior chaetigers and lacks anal cirri on the pygidium, while Q. manuelgerardi n. sp. lacks furcate chaetae and has two pairs of anal cirri.