Linopherus canariensis Langerhans, 1881

Çinar, Melih Ertan, 2009, Alien polychaete species (Annelida: Polychaeta) on the southern coast of Turkey (Levantine Sea, eastern Mediterranean), with 13 new records for the Mediterranean Sea, Journal of Natural History 43 (37 - 38), pp. 2283-2328 : 2288-2290

Linopherus canariensis Langerhans, 1881

( Figure 3A–C ) Linopherus canariensis Langerhans 1881: 109–110 , pl. 4, figs 14a–g; Núñez et al. 1991: 473–475, fig. 3.? Pseudeurythoe acarunculata ; Laubier 1966: 12; Ben-Eliahu 1976: 160–161, fig. 1 (not Monro 1937). Pseudeurythoe acarunculata ; Ergen and Çinar 1997: 233; Çinar 2005: 147 (not Monro 1937).

Material examined

ESFM-POL/05-426 , 12 September 2005, K1, 0.5 m, rocks, 2 specimens ; ESFM-POL/ 05-470 , 14 September 2005, K8, 1– 3 m, rocks, 6 specimens ; ESFM-POL/05-624 , 14 September 2005, K9, 0.1– 3 m, rocks, 2 specimen ; ESFM-POL/2005-700 , 19 September 2005, K19, 0.1– 5 m, stones, 5 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-1199 , 19 September 2005, K19, 0.1 m, Brachidontes pharaonis , 6 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-765 , 20 September 2005, K22, 0.1– 5 m, rocks, 7 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-632 , 22 September 2005, K26, 0.1– 3 m, rocks, 13 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-972 , 22 September 2005, K27, 0.1– 5 m, on rocks, 1 specimen ; ESFM-POL/2005-2499 , 24 September 2005, K 30, 2 m, Posidonia oceanica , 2 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-2635 , 3 October 2005, K45, 0.2 m, Co. mediterranea , 26 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-2262 , 3 October 2005, K45, 0.2 m, Amphiroa rigida , 1 specimen ; ESFM-POL/2005-2456 , 7 October 2005, K 53, 3 m, Aplysina aerophoba , 3 specimens ; ESFM-POL/2005-2435 , 7 October 2005, K 53, 3 m, Sarcotragus sp. , 1 specimen .

Additional material examined

ESFM-POL/93-15 , 21 July 1993, Kemer , Levantine Sea, 5 m, algae, 1 specimen ; ESFM-POL/93-305 , 15 May 1997, Northern Cyprus, Levantine Sea, D 4, 35°37.8′ N, 34°21.1′ E, 35 m, sand with Branchiomma lanceolatum , 2 specimens ; ESFM-POL/ 2005-2590 , 9 October 2005, Aegean Sea , Kusadasi, 37°42′32″ N, 27°12′21″ E, 1 m, P. oceanica , 1 specimen .

Description

Largest specimen complete, 6.8 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, with 32 chaetigers. Body pale brownish, without pigmentation ( Figure 3A ). Prostomium with anterior and posterior lobes; anterior lobe expanded, rounded, larger than posterior one. Anterior lobe with lateral antennae, bi-articulated, located anteriorly. A pair of slightly bi-articulated palps located on posterolateral part of anterior lobe. Two pairs of eyes; anterior pair larger, almost crescent-shaped, posterior pair spherical, concealed by chaetiger 1 ( Figure 3A ). Median antenna smaller than laterals, located between posterior pair of eyes. Caruncle absent. Parapodia biramous with notopodial and neuropodial cirri; notopodial cirri similar in size throughout. Branchiae present between chaetigers 3 and 8 (rarely 7). Anterior branchiae with six to eight filaments, posterior branchiae with three to four filaments. Notopodia with two types of chaetae; serrated capillary chaeta with a minute spur and harpoon chaeta. Harpoon chaetae weakly denticulated, becoming numerous towards posterior end. Neuropodia with two types of chaetae; serrated capillary chaeta with a long basal spur and furcate chaeta. In anterior parapodia, serrated capillary chaetae with a long basal spur relatively coarsely serrated along its cutting edge, numbering 30; maximally 400 µm long (distance from spur to tip) ( Figure 3C ). Furcate chaetae numbering five or six on anterior neuropodia; long tine, coarsely serrated distally, 21 µm long; short tine 5 µm long ( Figure 3C ). In posterior parapodia, middle part of furcate chaetae enlarged ( Figure 3B ). Pygidium rounded, without cirri.

Remarks

The genus Linopherus de Quatrefages, 1865 , also known as Pseudeurythoe Fauvel, 1932 (junior synonym), was represented by only one species ( L. acarunculata ) in the Mediterranean Sea. This species was first reported on the coast of Lebanon by Laubier (1966) and subsequently on the Israeli coast by Ben-Eliahu (1976) and on the Turkish coast by Ergen and Çinar (1997). The main diagnostic feature of L. acarunculata is that branchiae are first present on chaetiger 4. In L. canariensis , branchiae commence from chaetiger 3. I re-examined specimens of Linopherus collected from the Levantine and Aegean Seas, and confirmed that all specimens belonged to L. canariensis , not L. acarunculata . Therefore, previous reports of L. acarunculata from the eastern Mediterranean should be re-examined to determine whether L. acarunculata really occurs in the Mediterranean.

Distribution

This species was previously reported from the eastern and western parts of the Atlantic Ocean ( Núñez et al. 1991). It is new to the Mediterranean fauna. As it has not been reported from the western Mediterranean and the Red Sea, it could have been introduced to the area in the ballast waters of ships from the Atlantic Ocean.

Figures

Figure 3. Linopherus canariensis: (A) anterior part, dorsal view (ESFM-POL/2005-2635), (B) furcate chaeta, posterior parapodium, C. furcate chaetae and serrated capillary chaetae with a long basal spur, anterior parapodium. Goniada bonhourei: (D) unidentate papillae on proboscial areas I (upper) and II-1 (lower) (ESFM-POL/2005-1397). Scale bars: (A) 0.36 mm, (B) 11 µm, (C) 18 µm, (D) 18 µm.