Lizardia, Nogueira, João Miguel Matos, Hutchings, Pat & Carrerette, Orlemir, 2015

Nogueira, João Miguel Matos, Hutchings, Pat & Carrerette, Orlemir, 2015, Terebellidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 484-576 : 529-531

Genus Lizardia n. gen.

Type-species. Lizardia quasimodo Nogueira, Hutchings & Carrerette , this paper, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part without eyespots; distal part shelf-like. Peristomium forming lips; hood-like upper lip; small, swollen lower lip, restricted to oral area. Segments 1–3 with thick and low ventral lobes of uniform length across ventrum, running from one side to another of body, originating progressively more laterally. Branchiae absent. Anterior segments with glandular, rectangular, smooth to slightly corrugated anteriorly mid-ventral shields; mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from termination of mid-ventral shields. Short and conical notopodia beginning from segment 4, extending for 9 segments, until segment 12. Anterior notopodia with distally narrowly-winged notochaetae in both rows, wings only present at tips of chaetae; posterior notopodia with distally serrated chaetae in both rows, alimbate, with blade at an angle with shaft and with short and rounded teeth in anterior row, and with blade aligned with shaft and long teeth in posterior row. Neuropodia present from segment 6, as low ridges throughout. Neurochaetae throughout as avicular uncini, arranged in completely separated double rows from segment 11 until posterior body; uncini throughout with short base, almost inconspicuous dorsal button at base of main fang, and crest with numerous transverse rows of secondary teeth. Inconspicuous nephridial and genital papillae. Pygidium smooth.

Remarks. This new abranchiate genus is characterized by having nine pairs of notopodia from segment 4, with narrowly-winged notochaetae on anterior notopodia, and serrated notochaetae on posterior ones, and neuropodia from segment 6.

No other genus of Terebellidae , either branchiate or not, has only nine pairs of notopodia; in fact all of them have a much larger number. Currently the following abranchiate genera are known from Australia: Baffinia Wesenberg-Lund, 1950 and Spinosphaera Hessle, 1917 , which have notopodia extending almost to the pygidium, Arranooba Hutchings & Glasby, 1988 , which has 17 pairs of notopodia, Lanassa Malmgren 1866 , with 15 pairs of notopodia, Phisidia Saint-Joseph, 1894 , with 14 pairs, and Pseudoproclea Hutchings & Glasby, 1990 , with 16 pairs of notopodia.

Five other abranchiate genera of terebellids have not been found in Australia so far, Articulatia Nogueira, Hutchings & Amaral, 2003 , which has 11–20 pairs of notopodia, Laphania Malmgren, 1866 , which has 17 pairs of notopodia, Leaena Malmgren, 1866 , with 10–17 pairs, Morgana Nogueira & Amaral, 2001 , with 18–25 pairs, and Stschapovella Levenstein, 1957 , with 16 pairs. For this reason we are describing this as a new genus, which is currently monotypic.

Etymology. This new genus is named after Lizard Island, where a major coral reef research station is located, the Lizard Island Research Station, founded in 1973 and run by the Australian Museum.