Odontosyllis polycera ( Schmarda, 1861 )

San Martin, G & Hutchings, PA, 2006, Eusyllinae (Polychaeta: Syllidae) from Australia with the Description of a New Genus and Fifteen New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 58, pp. 257-370 : 298-300

Odontosyllis polycera ( Schmarda, 1861)

Figs 19A,B, 25E,F, 35A–F, 36A–F

Syllis polycera Schmarda, 1861: 72 , pl. 28, fig. 219 Odontosyllis polycera Augener, 1927: 152 .— Day, 1967: 260, fig.

12.—Hutchings & Murray, 1984: 32.— Hartmann-Schröder,

1984: 20; 1985: 68, figs 14–17; 1986: 41; 1989: 25; 1990: 51.? Odontosyllis suteri Non Benham, 1915 .— Haswell, 1920: 107.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND: Lagoon, Low Islets, 16°23'S 145°34'E, British Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928–1929, 3 Oct 1928, id. as O. hyalina , 1 epigamic specimen, ( AM W2952). NEW SOUTH WALES: NE of Mary’s Rock, Cook Is., 28°11.42'S 153°34.79'E, orange frilly bryozoan, 19 m, coll. R.T. Springthorpe, 8 Jun 1993, 1 ( AM W28400); NW of Split Solitary Is., 30°14'S 153°10.8'E, orange sponge, 14 m, coll. R.T. Springthorpe, 7 Mar 1992, 1 ( AM W28219); Green Point, Hawkesbury R., 33°34'S 151°14'E, mud, 12 m, coll. A. Jones & party, 13 Nov 1979, 1 ( AM W196605); Hawkesbury R., E end of Brooklyn Boat Channel, 33°33'S 151°14'E. A. Jones & party, 18 Dec 1979, 1 ( AM W196420); Grotto Point, Port Jackson, 33°49'S 151°15'E, algae, 4 m, coll. P. Colman, 18 July 1983, 2 ( AM W28407); W of La Perouse, Botany Bay, 33°59.4'S 151°12.8'E, St. 99, mud, 13 m, coll. SPCC, 10 Mar 1977, P.A. Hutchings (id.), 1 epigamic female, (+ 2 midbody pieces on SEM stub) ( AM W14203); S of Banksmeadow, Botany Bay, 33°58'S 151°12'E, mud, 19 m, 8 Dec 1976, coll. SPPC, 1 ( AM W14197); Botany Bay, 33°59.3'S 151°13.1'E, coll. NSW Fisheries, 31 Jan 1975, 1 epigamic specimen on SEM stub ( AM W195387); Botany Bay, 34°0.5'S 151°11'E, coll. NSW Fisheries, 1 ( AM W195520); N of Kurnell, Botany Bay, 34°00'S 151°12'E, mud, 13 m, 10 March 1977, P.A. Hutchings (id.), 1 ( AM W14204); Port Botany, Botany Bay, 33°58.75'S 151°11.093'E, 7 m, 7 Apr 1992, A. Murray (id.), 1 ( AM W21628); W of La Perouse, Botany Bay, muddy sand, 19 m, 4 Feb 1977, coll. SPCC, 2 ( AM W14201); off Bass Point, 34°36'S 150°54'E, 50 m, coll. The Ecology Lab, 1 Feb 1990, several ( AM W22990); 100 m, Jervis Bay, 35°06'S 150°44'E, coll. P.A. Hutchings & party, Feb 1989, 1 ( AM W20828); Jervis Bay, off Murrays Beach, 35°7.5'S 150°45.5'E, coll. NSW Fisheries, 25 Apr 1972, 1 on SEM stub ( AM W194258); Jervis Bay, Murrays Basin sandbank, coll. NSW Fisheries, 17 Oct 1972, 1 ( AM W194540); Jervis Bay, Murrays Basin 35°7.5'S 150°45.5E, sand, coll. NSW Fisheries, 17 Oct 1972, 1 ( AM W194290); Jervis Bay, off Murrays Beach, 35°7.5'S 150°45.5'E, NSW Fisheries, Apr 1972, 1 ( AM W17559); Plantation Point, Jervis Bay, 35°4.35'S 150°41.80'E, intertidal rock platform, coll.A. Murray, 24 Oct 1998, 1 ( AM W24937). TASMANIA: Fancy Point, Bruny Is. 43°16'S 147°19'E, algae, 3–6 m, coll. G. Edgar, 10 Nov 1980, 1 ( AM W18189). SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 2 km off First Creek, Spencer Gulf, Port Pirie, 33°12'S 138°00'E, subtidal, Posidonia and Amphibolus spp seagrass, 4.1 m, T.J. Ward, Mar 1980, 1 ( AM W28233); Sleaford Bay, Port Lincoln, 34°54'S 135°47'E, algal washings, coll. P.A. Hutchings, 10 Mar 1979, 4 ( AM W26356). WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Bramble Point, Princess Royal Harbour, 35°02'S 117°55'E, Posidonia sinuosa , 1–1.5m, coll. P.A. Hutchings & party, Jan 1988, 1 ( AM W20305); Cottlesloe Beach, 6 miles W of Perth, calcareous algae & Idanthyrsus tubes, 6 m, coll. H. Paxton, 14 Feb 1970, G. Hartmann- Schröder (id.), 6 (+ 2 fragments on SEM stub), ( AM W4344); Red Bluff, Kalbarri, 27°42'S 114°09'E, mixed coralline algae on rocky shore, 3.5 m, coll. J.K. Lowry, 10 Jan., 1984, 2 ( AM W28365).

median one ( Figs 25F, 35A). Palps divergent, ventrally folded, free for almost their length, fused basally. Dorsal tentacular cirri slightly longer than antennae, ventral tentacular cirri shorter. Peristomium reduced dorsally, covered by large, long occipital flap, that also covers most of prostomium ( Figs 25E,F, 35A); anterior edge of occipital flap with band of cilia ( Fig. 36A, arrow); midbody segments divided in two sections by one furrow, each section with row of cilia ( Fig. 36B, arrows). Antennae, tentacular, and dorsal cirri elongated, smooth, distally tapered, with short cirrophore ( Figs 25E, 35A), dorsal cirri becoming shorter posteriorly ( Fig. 25E); dorsal cirri of chaetigers 1, 3, 4 and 6 long, alternating dorsal cirri long and short on remaining segments. Parapodia conical, ending in 2 distal lobes ( Fig. 35B). Ventral cirri rounded, stout, pillow-shaped, shorter than parapodial lobes ( Figs 35B, 36C,D). Compound chaetae heterogomph falcigers, with spinose ending shafts and short, bidentate blades, slightly hooked, proximal tooth well separated from distal ones ( Figs 35E,F, 36F), sometimes on middle of margin; few, short spines, on margin, also some thin spines on tendons between shafts and blades, becoming more marked on posterior chaetae ( Fig. 35E,F). Length of blades of chaetae within fascicle increasing ventrally ( Figs 35E,F, 36E). Anterior parapodia with about 50 compound chaetae, blades 15–17 µm in length dorsally, 23 µm in length ventrally; number of compound chaetae per parapodium diminishing progressively along body to 25–27 on posterior segments, blades increasing in length within fascicle from 18 µm dorsally to 25 µm ventrally. Anterior parapodia with 3 slender aciculae with trilobed tips, numbers decreasing posteriorly with only 1 on posterior parapodia, similar to anterior ones ( Fig. 35D), but larger. Dorsal simple chaetae on posterior parapodia, thin, unidentate, with short spines on margin ( Fig. 19A). Ventral simple chaetae on far posterior segments of few specimens, with minute subdistal spines on margin, distally hooked, with short proximal tooth ( Fig. 19B). Pharynx short, through about 4 segments, with 5–8 teeth, and 2 lateral plates. Proventricle long, relatively slender, more than 3 times length of pharynx ( Fig. 35C), through 9–10 segments, with about 130 muscle cell rows. Pygidium, with 2 long anal cirri. Several specimens epitokous, with long natatory chaetae on midbody parapodia ( Fig. 36D).

Remarks. This species, which was described from Table Bay, South Africa, has been reported widely, and a detailed study should be undertaken to confirm such a wide distribution and depth range.

Habitat. Occurring in sand, mud, algae, calcareous substrata, bryozoans, sponges, from intertidal to 90 m ( Hartmann-Schröder, 1984).

Distribution. Angola, Namibia, South Africa, USA (Southern California), Panama, Indo-Pacific, New Zealand, Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia).