Megalomma jubata, Capa, María & Murray, Anna, 2015

Capa, María & Murray, Anna, 2015, A taxonomic guide to the fanworms (Sabellidae, Annelida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, including new species and new records, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 98-167 : 128-130

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4019.1.8

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8C14F828-F8FB-4783-928B-399B33B4246D

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5064496

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039D9472-FFC5-2A14-DA94-09B7D0F5CDAE

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Megalomma jubata
status

sp. nov.

Megalomma jubata View in CoL n. sp.

( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 )

Material examined. Queensland, Lizard Island: Holotype, AM W.36495, MacGillivray Reef, 14°39'25"S, 145°29′41′′E, coarse coral rubble, 2 m, 21 Feb 2009. Paratypes, AM W.36480 (2), Linnet Reef, Great Barrier Reef, 14°46′50′′S, 145°20′58′′E, coarse coral rubble, 4 m, 23 Feb 2009; AM W.36481, Coconut Beach, 14°40′53′′S, 145°28′21′′E, Halimeda algae & coral rubble, 2 m, 7 Feb 2009; AM W.41106; AM W.47337, Lagoon between Palfrey Island and South Island, 14°41′51′′S, 145°27′01′′E, coarse coral rubble, 2 m, 1 Sep 2010; AM W.47338, Watsons Bay, 14°39′26′′S, 145°27′03′′E, coarse coral rubble, 4.5 m, 28 Aug 2010.

Other material examined. Queensland, Heron Island: AM W.39514.001 (on SEM), Sykes Reef, 23°25′56′′S, 152°02′02′′E, 15 m, 14 Nov 2009.

Description. Holotype a complete specimen, 23 mm long (crown of 5 mm) and 2.5 mm wide, with seven thoracic chaetigers and numerous abdominal segments; paratypes up to 25 mm long (crown 5 mm), 2.5 mm wide; thorax with 6–11 chaetigers, numerous abdominal chaetigers. Specimens not observed alive. Some preserved specimens with longitudinal bands of pigment on radiolar bases, and three or four faint brown and orange transverse bands of pigment in radioles and pinnules ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 A–B). The caruncle may also have faint pigment distally. Some specimens pigmented dorsally and ventrally on thorax and collar, with darker pigment patches ventral to neuropodial tori and between neuro- and notopodia. Radiolar crown with semicircular lobes ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 A– B). Dorsal and ventral flanges absent. Basal membrane or radiolar flanges absent. About 10 vacuolated cells supporting radioles in cross section basally. Dorsalmost pair of radioles longer than the rest, each with a large subdistal compound eye spiralling around radiolar tip; additional pair of eyes on following two dorsalmost radioles, decreasing in size. Dorsal lips with medium-length radiolar appendages ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 F), three pairs of dorsal pinnular appendages. Caruncle present ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 C–E, G). Ventral lips and parallel lamellae present, ventral sacs present ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 D). Posterior peristomial ring collar with dorsal margins fused to faecal groove and forming dorsal pockets at either side and short, rounded dorsal lappets ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 E); midventral incision separating low ventral lappets ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 D). Glandular ridge on anterior chaetigers absent. Thoracic ventral shields separated from adjacent neuropodial tori by a gap ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 C–D). First ventral shield with m-shaped anterior margin. Interramal eyespots absent. Collar chaetae elongate narrowly-hooded in two oblique rows. Following thoracic chaetigers with conical notopodia, with superior elongate narrowly-hooded and inferior broadly-hooded notochaetae (type B, Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 H–I). Thoracic neuropodial uncini avicular, with several rows of small similar-sized teeth above main fang ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 J), well developed breast and medium-sized handle. Companion chaetae with dentate appearance on proximal half of hood, distally asymmetrical ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 J). Abdominal neuropodia as low elevations with elongate, broadly-hooded chaetae arranged in rows ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 K). Notopodial abdominal uncini similar to thoracic uncini but with shorter handles ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 L). Pygidium rounded with scattered eyespots. Pygidial cirrus absent. Tube membranous and embedded with sand, crushed coral fragments and other small debris.

Variation. Paratypes have 0–5 pairs of compound distal eyes on dorsalmost radioles.

Remarks. Megalomma jubata n. sp. is characterised by the presence of a conspicuous caruncle, dorsal collar margins fused to faecal groove forming pockets at either side and with short rounded dorsal lappets, radiolar eyes on 1–5 pairs of dorsalmost radioles, thoracic neuropodial tori separated from ventral shields and inferior thoracic chaetae type B. It would therefore be allocated to the informal "Group 1C" (proposed by Capa & Murray 2009) together with M. quadrioculatum ( Willey, 1905) , that also bears a caruncle. Megalomma jubata n. sp. differs from M. quadrioculatum in the shape of the inferior thoracic chaetae, which are type B, compared with type A in M. quadrioculatum . Other congeners described as having a caruncle, a homoplastic feature ( Capa & Murray 2009; Tovar-Hernández & Carrera-Parra 2011) are M. carunculata Tovar-Hernández & Salazar-Vallejo, 2008 , M.

lobiferum ( Ehlers, 1887) View in CoL , M. pigmentum Reish, 1963 View in CoL , and M. suspiciens ( Ehlers, 1904) View in CoL . Megalomma pigmentum View in CoL possesses widely separated dorsal collar margins, lacks collar pockets on either side, and bears a single pair of radiolar eyes. Megalomma suspiciens View in CoL , M. carunculata View in CoL and M. lobiferum View in CoL which all have a similar collar morphology to the new species, bear compound eyes in most of the radioles instead of only in a few of the dorsalmost.

The external morphology of the caruncle of this species is remarkable in comparison with other described Megalomma View in CoL possessing this structure. The cilia are arranged in four parallel transverse ridges joined anteriorly by an additional longitudinal ridge. It resembles, at least superficially, the nuchal organs present in some members of Amphinomidae View in CoL , a group of annelids not closely related, but with ciliary ridges also located in the along caruncle (see also Tovar-Hernández & Salazar-Vallejo 2008). The function(s) of this structure is unknown, but most probably sensory ( Tovar-Hernández & Salazar-Vallejo 2008). Of the other species of Megalomma View in CoL provided with a caruncle, M. lobiferum View in CoL has been shown to have cilia arranged in four longitudinal rows on each anterior posterior and lateral sides of this triangular structure. By contrast, the caruncle of M. jubata View in CoL n. sp. is rounded and bears cilia in a different arrangement.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word “iuba”, alluding to the characteristic rounded crest herein referred to as a caruncle, located dorsally to the mouth, between the dorsal lips.

Habitat. Coral rubble, with sand and Halimeda algae, in shallow intertidal to subtidal depths.

Type locality. Lizard Island.

Distribution. Australia (Queensland: Lizard and Heron Islands).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Annelida

Class

Polychaeta

Order

Sabellida

Family

Sabellidae

Genus

Megalomma

Loc

Megalomma jubata

Capa, María & Murray, Anna 2015
2015
Loc

M. pigmentum

Reish 1963
1963
Loc

M. suspiciens (

Ehlers 1904
1904
Loc

lobiferum (

Ehlers 1887
1887
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