Tomopteris rolasi Greeff, 1885

(Figs 1, 13, 14)

Tomopteris rolasi Greeff, 1885: 438–439, Figs 1, 2, 5–11, 17 [original description, Atlantic Ocean, Rolas Channel, Sao Thome].– Apstein 1900: 40–41 [brief description, CentralAtlantic], Malaquin et Dehorne 1907: 340, Figs 21–24 [description, Indo-Pacific, Indonesia, Ambon].– Rosa 1908: 281 [brief description and differences from other species].– Støp-Bowitz 1948: 43 [distribution, Gulf of Guinea].– Fauvel 1953: 143, Fig. 72 a [description, Indian Ocean].– Dales 1959: [distribution, Malacca Straits and South China Sea].

Material examined. One specimen: ZMMU WS20990 (FA, Et) .

Description. Body oval, elongate, 10 mm long 1 mm wide without parapodia, 4 mm wide with parapodia Tail absent, posterior ends with short cylindrical pygidium, maximum width with parapodia 3 mm, maximum width of body trunk 1 mm (Fig. 13A). Live worms transparent, white in preservation, eyes red. Brain transversely oval (Fig. 13B). Body with 12 pairs of parapodia, increasing in size up to 3 rd pair and then decreasing toward posterior end (Fig. 13A). Prostomium with frontal cleft, prostomial horns slightly curved backward. Ciliated epaulettes long, narrow, extending to posterior margin of brain. Anterior cirri as long as the frontal horns (Fig. 13B). Secondary cirri (streamers) approximately 0.85 of body length (Fig. 13A). Dorsal and ventral rami of parapodia of equal length. Pinnules oval, pinnal membranes do not adnate to parapodial trunk (Fig. 13C and D). Chromophile glands mammillary, loose and incompact (Fig. 13C, D). They are present from 1 st pair of parapodia, but poorly visible in first two pairs (seen as 3–4 tubes with a common opening). In 3 rd pair of parapodia these tubes become arranged into well-visible chromophile glands, from 4 th pair chromophile glands occupy almost all space between ramus and inferior margin of pinnule (Fig. 13D). Hyaline glands absent. Rosettes of two types. Large yellow spherical rosettes within trunks of 1 st and 2 nd parapodial pairs, near bases of dorsal rami (Fig. 13A–C). Smaller yellow rosettes in dorsal and ventral pinnules of all parapodia against inner side of rami (Fig. 13D). Gonads not observed.

Distribution. Type locality: Rolas Canal, Sao Thome (Greeff 1885). Other localities: tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indo-Pacific, Central Red Sea (this study).

Remarks. According to 18S and 28S markers, T. rolasi from the Red Sea is close to T. helgolandica (Fig. 14); nevertheless, these two species are distinctly different morphologically.