Harmothoe pokoui Intès & Le Loeuff, 1975

Barnich, Ruth & Fiege, Dieter, 2009, Revision of the genus Harmothoe Kinberg, 1856 (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) in the Northeast Atlantic, Zootaxa 2104 (1), pp. 1-76 : 58

Harmothoe pokoui Intès & Le Loeuff, 1975

( Figs. 4 , 28A–H )

Harmothoe pokoui Intès & Le Loeuff, 1975: 276 , fig. 2a–i; Barnich & Fiege (2000): 1919 , fig. 15A–D; Barnich & Fiege (2003): 53, fig. 27A–D.

Type material. Harmothoe pokoui ,? holotype (af, 16 segments), MNHN A 856 : Côte d’Ivoire, 5°12,7’N 4°02’W, 22 November 1966, dredge, 60 m, leg. A. Intès & P. Le Loeuff.

Additional material. Mediterranean: 1 spm. (af), SMF 13288, Cortiou (near Marseille), St. E7, 1976, 84 m, Coll. Bellan.

(For further material see Barnich & Fiege 2000 and 2003).

Diagnosis. Anterior pair of eyes dorsolateral at widest part of prostomium. Elytral margin with short fringing papillae; surface covered by flattened, irregular tubercles, consisting of an elevated broad rim surrounding a depressed central area, and few scattered papillae.

Description (based on additional specimen SMF 13288 in good condition, except for number and insertion of elytra based on Intès & Le Loeuff 1975).

Body with 14 segments. At anterior end ( Fig. 28A ), prostomium bilobed, with distinct cephalic peaks; ceratophore of median antenna in anterior notch, lateral antennae inserted ventrally, styles of antennae papillate, tapering to filiform tip; anterior pair of eyes situated dorsolaterally at widest part of prostomium, posterior pair dorsally near hind margin of prostomium; palps papillate, tapering.

Tentaculophores inserted laterally to prostomium, each with one notochaeta and a dorsal and ventral tentacular cirrus, styles of cirri papillate, tapering to filiform tip. Second segment with first pair of elytra, biramous parapodia, and long buccal cirri. Following segments with tapering, short ventral cirri.

Fifteen pairs of elytra, covering dorsum, on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, then on every second segment to 23, 26, 29, 32; last four segments cirrigerous; elytral margin with short fringing papillae; surface covered by flattened, irregular tubercles, consisting of an elevated broad rim surrounding a depressed central area, and few scattered papillae ( Fig. 28B,C ). Cirrigerous segments with distinct dorsal tubercles; dorsal cirri with cylindrical cirrophore, style papillate, tapering to filiform tip.

Parapodia biramous; notopodia with elongate acicular lobe; neuropodia with elongate prechaetal acicular lobe with digitiform supra-acicular process; neuropodial postchaetal lobe shorter than prechaetal lobe, rounded; tips of noto- and neuroacicula penetrating epidermis ( Fig. 28D ). Notochaetae stouter than neurochaetae, with rows of rather short spines and blunt tip ( Fig. 28E,F ); neurochaetae with distinct rows of spines, mainly bidentate with stout, short secondary tooth, some lower unidentate ( Fig. 28G,H ).

Measurements. H. pokoui , holotype: L 11 mm, W 4 mm incl. chaetae for 36 segments (cf. Intès & Le Loeuff 1975). Specimen figured, SMF 13288, af ( Fig. 28A–H ): L 3.5 mm, W 2.5 mm for 14 segments.

Remarks. Actually, all known specimens, including the possible holotype, are anterior fragments. According to Intès & Le Loeuff (1975) the holotype was originally a complete specimen with 36 segments.

Distribution. Northeast Atlantic (off West Africa) and Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat. Muddy substrates, in 50 to 86 m.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Identification characters of Harmothoe pokoui, H. bellani, H. evei, H. benthaliana, and H. longisetis.

FIGURE 28. Harmothoe pokoui (additional specimen, SMF 13288). (A) anterior end; styles of median antenna, right dorsal tentacular cirrus, and left and right dorsal cirri missing (B) left elytron from unknown segment; (C) detail of posterior margin of same; (D) right cirrigerous parapodium from segment 14, posterior view, style of dorsal cirrus missing; (E) long notochaeta; (F) tip of same; (G) middle neurochaeta; (H) tip of same. (Scale: A, B = 1 mm; C = 100 µm; D, E, G = 250 µm; F, H = 50 µm).