Lamprophaea paulayi n. sp.

Fig. 20

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 662A4B28-C433-45F5-96FF-BA1489C494E5

Type material. Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Holotype (UF 3887), Al Wajh, Shaybarah, fore reef (25°21’41.76” N, 36°54’45.36” E), 3–30 m, 4 Oct. 2013, G. Paulay & S. McKeon, coll . One paratype (UF 4223), Abu Sahim, backreef slope (22°39’31.32 N, 38°53’03.84” E), 5–9 m, under rocks, 7 Mar. 2014, G. Paulay, coll.

Description. Holotype (UF 3887) complete, bent laterally, posterior region directed upwards (Fig. 20). Body obconic, blunt anteriorly, medially wider by lateral torsion, tapered posteriorly, 24 mm long, 4 mm wide (without parapodia); left parapodium of chaetiger 8 and right parapodium of chaetiger 9 removed for observing parapodial features. Body homogeneously blackish dorsally, parapodia and venter pale; eyes brownish.

Prostomium slightly distorted, twice wider than long, tapered posteriorly (Fig. 20B). Lateral antennae with ceratophores distinct, ceratostyles broken, antennae shorter than palps (slightly shorter than palps in paratype) and twice wider than lateral antennae; palpophores twice longer than palpostyles (four times longer in paratype). Median antenna long, surpassing anterior prostomial margin, inserted centrally on prostomium, between eyes (shorter in paratype, not reaching anterior prostomial margin).

Eyes dark brown, anterior ones reniform, markedly emarginate, twice larger than posterior ones, round, more distant to each other than posterior round eyes (Fig. 20C).

Nuchal organs lobes L-shaped, lateral projections blackish along ridges, anterior and posterior surfaces pale, lobes tapered, projected beyond lateral prostomial margins (paler, better defined in paratype); lateral ciliated bands wide, right one more exposed by prostomial distortion. Tentacular cirri mostly broken, remaining ceratostyles broken, damaged, longer ones reaching chaetigers 2–3 (reaching chaetiger 8 in paratype). Lateral cushions low, exposure variable, barely projected along chaetigers 1–3, following ones more projected, smooth, entire, ridge blackish along internal sides; longitudinal striae visible.

Pharynx partially exposed, jaws observed by lateral dissection. Lateral vesicles not seen. Anterior margin with about 22 regular ridges, slightly larger ventrolaterally. Middorsal jaw broken, remaing portion hyaline, round, short (complete in paratype, twice wider than lower jaw); midventral jaw tapered, hyaline; jaws exposed, inserted below pharynx margin.

Dorsal cirri missing, relative size regarding body width unknown (paratype with cirri damaged, one complete cirrus longer than body width including parapodia). Chaetigers 1–3 without notochaetae; notochaetae present along chaetigers 4–16, about 60 per bundle, delicate, arranged in fascicles along chaetigers 1–5, and 16, and as longitudinal or oblique fans in chaetigers 6–15, notochaetae subdistally denticulate, denticles coarse. Notacicular lobes long, tapered, twice longer than wide (Fig. 20D); aciculae black, tapered; ventral cirri tapered, missing in several chaetigers, surpass neurochaetal lobes. Neurochaetae about 30 per bundle (about 20 in paratype), some blades missing, blades decreasing in size ventrally, bidentate, 4–10 times longer than wide, guards approaching subdistal tooth (Fig. 20E); denticles delicate; some blades with connecting blades between denticles.

Posterior end tapered. Prepygidial segment cirri missing. Anal cirri projected, anal cirri missing.

Oocytes not seen. Testis penetrate into parapodial coelom.

Etymology. This species name is after Dr. Gustav Paulay, a well-known echinoderm expert, curator or marine invertebrates in the University of Florida Natural History Museum, Gainesville, in recognition of his indefatigable efforts for sampling marine benthic invertebrates worldwide, and by his kind support of my research interests. The species-group name is a noun in the genitive case (ICZN 1999, Art. 31.1.2).

Variation. Paratype (UF 4223) grayish, paler medially and posteriorly (Fig. 21A), without posterior end, 17 mm long, 2 mm wide, 11 chaetigers. Prostomium completely exposed; lateral antennae and palps of similar length; median antenna without tip, not reaching anterior prostomial margin. Anterior eyes reniform, twice larger than posterior round ones. Nuchal organs lobes expanded laterally, slightly beyond prostomial lateral margins, ridges darker than surrounding areas (Fig. 21B). Lateral ciliated areas barely visible, especially along left side. Pharynx not exposed, laterally dissected; middorsal jaw complete, twice wider than lower jaw. Notacicular lobe digitate, neuracicular lobe conical, blunt (Fig. 21C). Neurochaetae about 15 per bundle; neuracicular blades 3–7 times longer than wide; blades approaching subdistal tooth (Fig. 21C, insets).

Remarks. Lamprophaea paulayi n. sp. belongs in the group with notochaetae from chaetiger 4, and resembles L. poupini n. sp. from the Society Islands because they both have reniform anterior eyes, twice larger than posterior round eyes. These two species differ because in L. paulayi lateral antennae are as long as palps, and neuracicular lobes are blunt, conical, whereas in L. poupini lateral antennae are longer than palps, and neuracicular lobes are rectangular.

Distribution. Coastal localities in the Red Sea Saudi Arabian region, in rocky substrates in 3–30 m depth.