Ehlersileanira incisa (Grube, 1877), restricted

(Figures 1 (a–g), 2(a–g), 3(a–l), 4(a–j); Table 1)

Sthenelais incisa Grube, 1877: 519–520

Sthenolepis incisa – Hartman, 1965: 14 (comb. nov.)

Leanira incisa – Augener, 1918: 107 (comb. nov.)

Ehlersileanira incisa – Pettibone, 1970: 19–23, figs 10–12 (partim, not fig. 12)

Type locality

Mouth of Congo River.

Material examined

Gulf of Guinea: Off Ivory Coast, UMML 6405–45, 1 spec . (incomplete, anterior fragment), 101 segments, 12.5 cm long, 3.2 cm to segment 30, 1.3 cm wide, R / V Pillsbury, Sta. 45 (5.083N, 4.083W), 30 May 1964, depth 85 m; Off Liberia, UMML 6504–260, 1 spec . (incomplete, anterior fragment, poor condition), 56 segments, 5.9 cm long, 3.9 cm to segment 30, 0.9 cm wide, R / V Pillsbury, Sta. 260 (3.733N, 9.133W), 16 May 1965, depth 46 m; Off Cameroon, UMML 6504–259, 10 spec . (incomplete, anterior fragments), 36–82 segments, 2.2–10.9 cm long, 1.4–4.2 cm to segment 30, 0.6–1 cm wide, R / V Pillsbury, Sta. 259 (3.866N, 8.900E), 16 May 1965, depth 59 m.

Description

Best-preserved specimen (UMML 6504–45). Description based on a specimen from UMML 6504–259 (placed in a small separate vial inside the original vial).

Incomplete specimen, anterior fragment with 63 segments, 10.9 cm long and 1.1 cm wide. Body pale orange, long, cylindrical (Figure 1 (a)). Specimen with most of its elytra lost.

Prostomium oval, wider than long, fused with tentacular segment (Figure 1 (b, d)). Three small antennae. Median antenna on antero-dorsal prostomial margin; auricles paired, round, small, as long as about half length of ceratophore; style short with two articles, distal one shorter (Figure 1 (c)). Lateral antennae dorsally fused with tentacular parapodia, with well-defined ceratophores and short styles. Eyes indistinct, nuchal organs barely visible. Tentacular segment with 0–5 dorsal stylodes between base of dorsal tentacular cirri and lateral antennae. Dorsal tentacular cirri longer than neuropodia including chaetae, ventral tentacular cirri slightly shorter than dorsal ones. Facial tubercle between palps, visible in ventral view (Figure 1 (f, g)). Palps long, reaching segment 13, with inner palpal sheath long, outer palpal sheath slightly shorter (Figure 1 (e, g)). First three anterior parapodia directed anteriorly. Segment 2 with conical buccal cirri, larger than the following. Segment 3 without dorsal cirri and dorsal tubercles.

Branchiae beginning at segment 9; ctenidial pads placed between notopodia and elytrophores, beginning at segment 7. Ventral cirri short, with short basis. Tubular segmental papilla beginning at segment 7–9, short, slightly shorter than ventral cirri.

Parapodia from segment 4 (Figure 2 (a–e)): Notopodia short, posterior upper lobe indiscernible, anterior lower lobe well developed, anterior upper lobe with 4–7 stylodes, and a slightly larger stylode under acicular lobe. Notochaetae consist of about 20 spinous capillaries simple chaetae. Neuropodia conical with 6–8 large stylodes, posterior upper and lower lobes short, anterior upper lobe slightly larger than lower lobe. Neurochaetae consist of 20–27 compound spinigers with canaliculated blades; simple pinnate chaetae not observed. Left elytron from segment 4 smooth, rounded, covered by debris (Figure 2 (f, g)).

Parapodia from segment 22 (median segment): Notopodia large, posterior upper lobe truncate, anterior lower lobe well developed, anterior upper lobe conical with 5–6 stylodes, a larger stylode above acicular lobe (Figure 3 (a–e)). Notochaetae consist of two fascicles of spinous capillaries simple chaetae, supra-acicular lobe with 13–16 chaetae, infra-acicular fascicle with 25–28 chaetae (Figure 3 (f–g)). Neuropodia conical with 6–8 large stylodes, upper posterior lobe well developed, lower posterior lobe short, anterior upper and lower lobes indistinct (Figure 3 (a–e)). Neurochaetae consist of three simple pinnate chaetae in supra-acicular position (Figure 3 (j)), and 27–29 compound spinigers with canaliculated blades (Figure 3 (h, i)). Elytron of left middle segment smooth, distally notched, covered by debris (Figure 3 (k, l)). Pygidium unknown, all specimens lacked posterior-most segments.