Typhloscolex robustus Friedrich, 1950

(Figs 1, 10D, 11)

Typhloscolex robusta [err. orig. spell.] Friedrich, 1950: 313–314, Fig. 2 c [original description, Central Atlantic].

Material examined. Two specimens: ZMMU WS20978, (Et), ZMMU WS20979 (FA) .

Description (based on all our material). Body 1–1.5 mm long, 0.14–0.2 mm wide without parapodia, 0.3–0.4 mm wide with parapodia and cirri, robust and stocky, with 9–12 chaetigers. Live worm is orange-brown, translucent, proboscis opaque red, prominently visible inside the head, even when inverted. Preserved specimen white, without pigment patterns. Prostomium mushroom-shaped, round in frontal view, like in T. muelleri and T. phyllodes, dorsal and ventral prostomial lobes of similar size, with dorsal and ventral marginal belts of cilia (Fig. 10D). Apical palpodium consists of cylindrical base and thin distal part (Fig. 10D). Nuchal lappets rounded, ciliated, attached to base of dorsal prostomial lobe (Fig. 10D). Extended proboscis small, conical. First (cephalic) cirrus butterfly-shaped (with anterior and posterior notches or with anterior notch and posterior cleft), 2 nd pair bean-shaped or oval, 3 rd pair spoon-like (Fig. 10D). Dorsal cirri of body chaetigers rounded cordiform in mid-region, oval in anterior and posterior, 0.5–0.8 diameters of chaetiger in length; the largest ones in the second third of the body. Ventral cirri slightly smaller than dorsal ones, oval (Fig. 10D). Parapodia from 3 rd –4 th chaetigers, small, conical, uniramous, each with two simple recurved capillary chaetae and one thick aciculum penetrating through epidermis. Caudal cirri oval, elongated, slightly tapering (Fig. 10D).

Distribution. Type locality: North, tropical and subtropical Atlantic (Friedrich 1950); Central Red Sea (this study).

Remarks. Typhloscolex robustus differs from other Typhloscolex species by 1) spoon-like 3 rd pair of cephalic cirri, 2) very conspicuous red proboscis inside the head, and 3) intensive orange-brown coloration. Specimens from the Red Sea are similar to T. robustus from the Central Atlantic and agree with Friedrich’s original description (Friedrich 1954).