Terebellidae Grube, 1850

Nogueira, João Miguel Matos, Hutchings, Pat & Carrerette, Orlemir, 2015, Terebellidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 484-576 : 489

Family Terebellidae Grube, 1850

Diagnosis. Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part frequently with eyespots; distal part poorly developed, shelf-like, restricted to base of upper lip, mid-dorsal process absent. Buccal tentacles all similar, except in length. Peristomium forming lips; hood-like upper lip, usually as wide as long; small, swollen lower lip, usually restricted to oral area. Segment 1 reduced dorsally, frequently developed ventrally, with ventral lobe marginal to mouth, or with longer paired lobes. Lobes on following anterior segments frequently present. Paired dorso-lateral branchiae present in most genera, 1–3 pairs, typically beginning from segment 2; branchial filaments originating all together from single point dorso-laterally, or branching from a basal stalk on either side of pairs. Anterior segments with glandular, rectangular to trapezoidal, smooth to highly corrugated mid-ventral shields; shields extending until termination of notopodia or shortly before that point; mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from termination of mid-ventral shields. Short and conical notopodia beginning from segments 2–5, usually extending for limited number of segments. Notochaetae distally winged or serrated, both types with several sub-types, frequently with transition of types of notochaetae along body. Neuropodia typically present from 1–2 segments after beginning of notopodia, sometimes more posteriorly. Neurochaetae as avicular uncini, sometimes with long handles on some anterior segments; uncini arranged in double rows at least on some segments of the region with notopodia, frequently from segment 11 to termination of notopodia. Nephridial and genital papillae usually present on some anterior segments. Pygidium smooth to crenulate, or with marginal rim of papillae ( Nogueira et al. 2013).

Remarks. Australian terebellids have been studied over the last decades mostly by Hutchings ( Hartman 1963; Hutchings 1977; Hutchings & Murray 1984; Hartmann-Schröder 1986; Hutchings & Glasby 1988, 1990; Hutchings 1993,1997a, b; Hutchings & Smith 1997; Hutchings & Avery 2003; Nogueira & Hutchings 2007), and 22 genera and 53 species of terebellids were reported from Australia prior to the present study, all listed on the Australian Faunal Directory (AFD) website, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs.

Terebellidae sensu stricto, as defined by Nogueira et al. (2013), is the largest family of the former Terebellidae sensu latu. The group currently has 47 valid genera, including one described herein. These genera are defined by the presence or absence of branchiae and lobes on anterior segments, number of pairs of notopodia, segments on which noto- and neuropodia begin, and the types of chaetae they bear.