Eupolymnia crassicornis ( Schmarda, 1861 )

Londoño-Mesa, Mario H., 2009, Terebellidae (Polychaeta: Terebellida) from the Grand Caribbean region 2320, Zootaxa 2320 (1), pp. 1-93 : 27-28

Eupolymnia crassicornis ( Schmarda, 1861)

Figures 7 A-C (modified from original description).

Terebella crassicornis, Schmarda, 1861:43 , Text-Figs A-C.— Augener, 1925:36–37.

Polymnia crassicornis, Hessle, 1917:177 .

Non Eupolymnia crassicornis, Hartman, 1939:18 .— Rullier, 1974:67.— Capa & Hutchings, 2006:9–10, Table 1.

Type material: ZIW 107 (dried up according to Augener (1925)), not seen .

Diagnosis (modified from the original description): Specimen light green in color, with 100mm long. Tentacular membrane (“peristomium”) as thick transverse fold ( Fig. 7A ). Tentacles light grey in color, numerous, long and thick. Upper lip wide, trilobed. Lower lip swollen. First pair of branchiae largest, last pair almost as spherical crown. Fifteen ventral shields. Twenty-five pairs of notopodia; notochaetae simple ( Fig. 7B ), weakly bent, becoming smaller gradually. Uncini MF:3 ( Fig. 7C ).

Discussion: Augener (1925) revised the type specimen and noted that it was poorly preserved and dried out. He noted that it was not possible to count the number of pairs of notopodia, and identify the segments on which branchiae occur. He suggested that Schmarda’s indication about notochaetae extending to segment 25, might be wrong, and that “the notochaetae are restricted to the anterior body section and should appear in 17 segments”. He also commented on the close similarity between the uncini of this species and those of T. turgidula Ehlers, 1887 . Thus, Augener followed by Hartman (1938) mentioned that T. turgidula was a junior synonym. Nevertheless, the revision of the type materal of T. turgidula showed chaetae distally serrated and 25 pairs of notopodia, which differ from what was stated in the original description by Schmarda, and in the redescription by Augener. Moreover, the shape of uncini figured by Schmarda differs from those of T. turgidula (see below), another similarity incorrectly suggested by Augener. Augener (1928) also synonymized T. magnifica Webster, 1884 , from Bermuda, with this species; however, the latter has 17 pairs of notopodia, although the uncini and chaetae shapes are similar (see below). Rullier (1974) identified E. crassicornis , from Cuba, giving a short description; he mentioned that the thoracic uncini occurred in double rows from the seventh segment with notochaetae, which means only the five initial segments have uncini arranged in single rows. This feature is not mentioned by any previous description, but it is present in Eupolymnia rullieri sp. nov., which also has 17 pairs of notopodia (see below).

Hence, having the type in poor contidion, and no more additional specimens, this species continues to be known only from the descriptions given by Schmarda and Augener.

Type locality: Jamaica .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Eupolymnia crassicornis: A. Anterior end. B. Chaeta. C. Uncinus (improved from Schmarda, 1861). Eupolymnia magnifica (Syntype USNM 4799): D. Anterior thoracic region in lateral view. E. Anterior end in lateral view. F. First seven parapodia in lateral view. G. Branchiae: longer (right) from segment 2, shorter (left) from segment 4. H. Bilimbate notochaetae from segment 10. I. Uncinus from segment 5. J. Uncinus from segment 11. K. Uncinus from segment 25. Eupolymnia nebulosa (NHM 1910.2.1): L. Bilimbate notochaeta from segment 11. M. Uncinus from segment 5. N. Uncinus from segment 11. O. Uncinus from segment 25. Scale bars: A,B,C: No original scale; D: 6mm; E,F: 3.6mm; G: 6mm; H,L: 0.9mm; I-K,M-O: 0.08mm.