Semiodera cinari, Salazar-Vallejo, 2012

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2012, 3562, Zootaxa 3562, pp. 1-62 : 14-16

Semiodera cinari n. sp.

Figure 3

Pherusa parmata: Çinar 2009:2307–2309 , Fig. 8a–c (non Grube, 1877).

Type material. Mediterranean Sea, Levantine Sea. Holotype ( ESFM 2005-631 ) and paratype ( ESFM 2005- 632 ), Stat. K 11, 0.1–3 m depth, stones, M.E. Çinar, coll. (paratype 4.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, cephalic cage 4 mm long, 36 chaetigers; further data in Çinar 2009).

Description. Holotype (ESFM 5-631), complete, broken into two pieces ( Fig. 3A); 23(12+11) mm long, 2.5 mm wide, cephalic cage 6.5 mm long, 70 (26+44) chaetigers. Tunic thin, broken irregularly, without sediment; body papillae short digitate, in single transverse rows per segment, better defined along anterior chaetigers ( Fig. 3B, C); dorsal papille larger, bottle-shaped, ventral papillae smaller, bottle-shaped to digitate.

Anterior end not dissected to avoid further damage. Cephalic cage chaetae 2.5 times longer than body width. Chaetigers 1–3 involved in the cephalic cage; chaetae arranged in transverse rows in chaetiger 1, become more lateral in chaetigers 2–3. Chaetigers 1–2 with 8–10 chaetae per bundle; chaetiger 3 with 3–5 noto- and 2 neurochaetae.

Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger not visible dorsally, with a projected, bifid lappet, without accessory papillae. Chaetiger 3 slightly longer than previous ones. Sand cemented anterior shield dorsal, over chaetigers 1–5, anteriorly extended into a bifid lobe, not visible dorsally, irregularly projected dorsally ( Fig. 3B, C). Chaetal transition from cephalic cage chaetae to body chaetae gradual; notochaetae of chaetiger 2 about half as long as those in chaetiger 1; those from chaetiger 3 broken, some remaining chaetae about 1/3 as long as those of chaetiger 2. Notochaetae of chaetiger 4 about as long as those present in following chaetigers. Neurochaetae multiarticulate capillaries in chaetigers 1–3, replaced by pseudocompound hooks from chaetiger 4, decreasing in size in chaetigers 5–6. Sligthly falcate anchylosed neurohooks from chaetiger 7. Gonopodial slits in chaetiger 5, sligthly darker than surrounding areas.

Parapodia better developed on chaetigers 1–3; thereafter barely noticeable, chaetal lobes, with a single bottleshaped interramal papillae and one small papillae (or none at all) in chaetal lobes ( Fig. 3D). Noto- and neuropodia lateral, close to each other.

Median notochaetae arranged in short transverse rows; all multiarticulate capillaries, articles long throughout the chaeta, but shorter basally, increasing medially and distally, 2–3 per fascicle in median ( Fig. 3E), and 2 per fascicle in posterior chaetigers. Median neuropodia lateral, close to notopodia. Neurochaetae multiarticulate capillaries in chaetigers 1–3, replaced by pseudocompound hooks in chaetigers 4–6. Falcate anchylosed neurohooks from chaetiger 7, becoming more falcate in median and posterior chaetigers; two per bundle in anterior chaetigers, up to 4 per bundle in median chaetigers ( Fig. 3F), and reduced to 2 per bundle in posterior chaetigers.

Posterior end tapering; pygidium with anus terminal, without anal cirri.

Etymology. This new species is being named after Dr. Melih E. Çinar in recognition of his publications on Mediterranean polychaetes, and to acknowledge his support of my research activities. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Type locality. Turkey Levantine Sea , boring rocks in shallow water .

Remarks. Semiodera cinari n. sp. differs from Daylithos parmatus ( Grube, 1877) n. comb., especially because the posterior region, or cauda, is cylindrical with few neurohooks per bundle, whereas in D. parmatus the cauda is depressed and has abundant neurohooks per bundle.

Semiodera cinari belongs in the group of species provided with a single series of dorsal papillae and falcate neurohooks from chaetiger 7, which also includes S. inflata ( Treadwell, 1914) n. comb. and S. mezianei n. sp. However, S. cinari differs from the other two species because its chaetal lobes have a single papilla, or it may be absent (as opposed to having three papillae per lobe), and its median chaetigers have papillae which can be ¼–⅓ the corresponding segment length.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.