Dodecaceria fewkesi Berkeley & Berkeley, 1954

Figure 21 A–F

Dodecaceria fewkesi Berkeley & Berkeley, 1954: 326 –334, figs. 1–7; Blake 1996b and references therein: 373–375, fig. 8.47.

Material examined. Kaneohe Bay, east shore of Oahu Island, Hawaii, coll. J.H. Bailey-Brock, 1977 (1 on stub, USNM 1195175; 1, BPBM R3654; 12); French Frigate Shoals Islands, northwestern Hawaiian Atoll, Sta. D43A, coll. J. Parrish (23).

Description. Specimens 2.1–9.0 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm wide for about 21–49 chaetigers. Body cylindrical anteriorly, dorso-ventrally flattened posteriorly, usually preserved in a U-shape; anterior and posterior ends with distinct, crowded chaetigers, mid-body chaetigers wider than long, indistinct. Color in preserved specimens varied in relation to size; small specimens dark brown in anterior and posterior end, pale brown in mid-body segments; larger specimens dark brown throughout. Pygidium a simple ring and anal opening placed terminally (Fig. 21 B).

Prostomium elongate, longer than wide, bluntly rounded on anterior margin, lacking eyes and nuchal organs not observed (Fig. 21 A). Peristomium as short as one chaetiger with a pair of branchiae dorsally, and a pair of dorsal tentacles laterally inserted. Second, third and fourth pair of branchiae inserted on chaetigers 1, 2, and 3, respectively; fifth pair absent (Fig. 21 A). Branchiae longer than dorsal tentacles (Fig. 21 A).

Capillary chaetae present in notopodium, numbering 3–4 from chaetiger 1–10, with serrated edge (Fig. 21 E). After chaetigers 11–12 with spoon-shaped hooks, up to 3–4 per notopodium alone or accompanied by one capillary (Fig. 21 C, F). Spoon-shaped neurohooks appear after chaetigers 9–10 with deeper cavity than notohooks (Fig. 21 C, D).

MGSP. No staining reaction.

Remarks. The specimens from Hawaii fit well with the description of D. fewkesi Blake (1996b) . This author clarified the confusion about D. pacifica, D. fistulicola and D. fewkesi in Californian waters and retained the name D. fewkesi for the North American records until specimens of D. fistulicola from Chile could be studied. A comparative table of diagnostic features and key to all known species are presented in Aguilar-Camacho & Salazar- Vallejo (2011).

Biology/Ecology. Several specimens were regenerating either the anterior or posterior end. Specimens from Kaneohe Bay were collected along with boring phoronids.

Distribution. British Columbia to southern California in the northeastern Pacific and Hawaiian Islands in the northwestern Pacific.