Benhamipolynoe cf. antipaticola ( Benham, 1927 )

Assis, José Eriberto De, de Souza, José Roberto B., de Lima, Manuela M., de Lima, Gislaine V., Cordeiro, Ralf T. S. & Pérez, Carlos D., 2019, Association between deep-water scale-worms (Annelida: Polynoidae) and black corals (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) in the Southwestern Atlantic, Zoologia (e 28714) 36, pp. 1-13 : 3-4

Benhamipolynoe cf. antipaticola ( Benham, 1927)

Figs 2–7

Lapidasthenia antipaticola Benham, 1927: 7–182 , pl. 1–6.

Description. Body brownish, with continuous middorsal longitudinal reddish-brown band, transverse bands from elytra near parapodial bases. Body dorsoventrally flattened, elongate, slender, with nearly parallel sides, tapering posteriorly, subrectangular in cross-section. Seventeen symmetrical pairs of elytra; elytra colorless, transparent with median crescent-shaped dark pigmentation; on elytrophores of segments 2, 4, 5, 7, alternate segments to 29, 32, and 35; elytra continue to middle body, irregularly distributed, may be asymmetrical, with an elytron and cirrus on same segment, or from one to five cirri in succession ( Figs 2–3). Elytra lacking fringes, papillae and tubercles, except for some scattered micro-tubercles. Prostomium bilobed, as wide as long, without cephalic peaks; with three antennae and two short, tapering, smooth palps. Ceratophore of median antenna short, cylindrical, inserted in anterior notch of prostomium; lateral antennae inserted terminally or subterminally on anterior part of prostomium, at the same level or slightly ventral to median antenna (without distinct ceratophores); antennae longer than prostomium, tapered, smooth; two pairs of eyes moderate in size; anterior pair on dorsolateral prostomial width, posterior pair near to posterior border. Tentacular segment anterolateral to prostomium, bearing two pairs of long tentacular cirri, upper pairs much longer than lower pairs; basis of tentacular cirri with aciculum, but lacking chaetae. Buccal segment lacking distinct nuchal fold; supporting first pair of dorsal elytra and long ventral buccal cirri ( Fig. 4). Parapodia sub-biramous, with small notopodia on anterodorsal lobe; prechaetal lobe quadrangular or subtriangular, postchaetal short and subtriangular, both with acicula. Notopodia short, conical, achaetous acicular lobe. Neuropodia elongate, with a ventral and dorsal deep incision; with subequal, rounded prechaetal and postchaetal lobes ( Fig. 5); with 5–11 neurochaetae, rather stout, smooth or with slight indications of spinous rows and falcate tips ( Figs 6–7). Ventral cirri short, subulate, extending slightly beyond neuropodial lobe tips. Dorsal cirri with short cylindrical cirrophores; styles smooth, tapering gradually to filiform tips, extending beyond neurochaetae tips. Nephridial papillae short, starting at chaetiger 6 ( Fig. 5). Pygidium short, with one pair of long anal cirri.

Material examined. A complete specimen with 136 chaetigerous segments, with 103 mm in length, and 4 mm wide. MOUFPE-CNI 113; 04°47’50”S; 036°11’01”W (Potiguar Basin), 423–461 m depth (1 specimen).

Distribution. Pacific: Off New Zealand, 128 m depth ( Benham 1927), Queensland, Australia, 398 m depth ( Pettibone 1989), off New Caledonia and adjacent waters, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, and Madagascar, from 300–600 m depth ( Molodtsova and Budaeva 2007), Malay Archipelago; Atlantic: off Key West, Florida, 237 m depth ( Pettibone 1970) and Northeastern Brazil, 423–461 m depth (present study), first report for the Southwestern Atlantic.

Remarks. Benhamipolynoe antipaticola was originally described as Lapidasthenia antipaticola Benham, 1927 , from 128 m depth off New Zealand, in association with Stylopathes tenuispina (Silberfeld, 1909) (= Parantipathes tenuispina ) ( Opresko 2006). The morphological features of the Brazilian specimens agree with the original description, except in the absence of pigmentation in the holotype, according to Pettibone (1989).

Ecology. Found in association with Stylopathes adinocrada Opresko, 2006 , a new host for this species. It is also known to live in association with Stylopathes columnaris (Duchassaing, 1870) ( Pettibone 1970, Britayev et al. 2014).

Host black coral Stylopathidae Opresko, 2006