Loimia salazari, Londoño-Mesa, Mario H. & Carrera-Parra, Luis F., 2005

Londoño-Mesa, Mario H. & Carrera-Parra, Luis F., 2005, Terebellidae (Polychaeta) from the Mexican Caribbean with description of four new species, Zootaxa 1057, pp. 1-44 : 19-21

Loimia salazari sp. nov.

Figures 5 A–G

Material examined: Type material: Holotype ECOSUR 0 0 55 Xcacel (20°20’16”N 87°20’52”W), 31 Jul. 1995, 1 m, under coralline rock. Paratypes BMNH (2) Turpialito, Cumana, Venezuela, Mar. 2002.

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Sergio I. Salazar­Vallejo, an excellent researcher on polychaetes.

Description: Holotype complete, mature female, with 155 segments, 221 mm long; thorax 55 mm long and 10 mm wide ( Figures 5 A–B); abdomen with irregular swellings. Tentacles few in numbers, with some transverse wrinkles. Tentacular membrane short, poorly developed on ventral side; laterally concealed by the first pair of lateral lappets. Eyespots absent. Upper lip with short free edge, projecting forward, spoon­like, shorter than wide; thicker at the base. Lower lip small, swollen, with some transverse wrinkles, slightly concealed ventrally by the membrane that connects the first pair of lateral lappets. Lateral lappets discontinuous, 2 pairs on segments 1 and 3. First pair covering the tentacular membrane and the lower lip; laterally, reaching the level of notopodia. Second pair of lateral lappets reaching the base of the first pair, concealing, segment 2 laterally, with well developed dorsal lobe covering the base of the first and second branchiae, ending ventrally before first and second ventral shields. Three pairs of branched branchiae, long and whitish, starting from segment 2; second pair longer than the others, third pair the smallest; branchiae with thick stalks, with many dendritic branches arranged in three levels. Nephridial papillae absent. Eggs in coelom of abdominal segments. First twelve notopodia surrounded by whitish glandular patches; eighteen ventral shields present, starting from segment 2; shields wider than long on segments 2–4, second shields shorter; shields undivided on segments 5–14, all about the same size; shields transversally divided on segments 15–16; shields on segments 17 divided by two transversal lines, shields with three transversal line on segments 18–19; abdomen smooth ventrally until pygidium. Notopodia from segment 4, extending through 17 segments as swollen, conspicuous lobes. Notochaetae of two type within a fascicle, long chaetae narrowly bilimbate, and short smooth capillaries ( Figure 5 C); the shorter chaetae at the anterior face of each fascicle; from midthorax until the end of notopodia, notochaetae in J­shape arrangement. Neuropodia starting from segment 5, arranged in single rows from segment 5–10, in double rows on segments 11–20, back to back position; in single rows until the pygidium. Anterior neuropodia smaller. Thoracic uncini larger than abdominal ones; anterior thoracic uncini, pectinate with three teeth on the capitium, above main fang ( Figures 5 D–E); upper subrostrum short, rounded with conspicuous subrostral process; anterior process short, sometimes with filament; basis rounded terminating in a long and straight posterior process; occipitium rounded and curved. Uncini from middle and posterior thoracic neuropodia with longer and almost straight occipitium. Abdominal uncini pectinate with 4 teeth ( Figure 5 F), straight upper subrostrum, with small subrostral process, and short anterior process, sometimes with filament; basis less rounded than on thoracic uncini, terminating in a small posterior process, with long filament; occipitium rounded and curved. Pygidium with terminal, rounded anus, with about 14 small papillae ( Figure 5 G). Tube 70 mm long, 15 mm wide, made of coral fragments, shells, and calcareous algae; inner surface revested by strong membrane that allows the tube to maintain a hard consistency. A pinnotherid crab ( Parapinnixa hendersoni Rathbun, 1918 ) was found within the tube of this worm. Both animals were spawning almost at the same time. Konishi & Noda (1999) also recorded a commensal pinnotherid crab living with Loimia from Japan.

Remarks: Four species of Loimia are known from the Grand Caribbean region: L. medusa ( Savigny, 1818) from Red Sea; L. minuta Treadwell, 1929 from Dry Tortugas, Florida; L. turgida Andrews, 1892 from North Carolina, and L. viridis Moore, 1903 from Massachusset. L. salazari . sp. nov. and L. minuta differ from the other species by the presence of two types of chaetae; furthermore, L. salazari sp. nov. differs from all these species by having uncini with posterior process and more ventral shields.

Type locality: Xcacel, Mexican Caribbean.

Distribution: Mexico and Venezuela, this species could be present in all the Grand Caribbean Region.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Loimia salazari sp. nov. Lateral view; B. Ventral view; C. Chaetae from segment 5; D. Uncinus from segment 5; E. Uncinus from segment 14; F. Uncinus from segment 104; G. Pygidium with anal papillae. Loimia minuta: H. Lateral view; I. Ventral view; J. Chaetae bilimbate from segment 10; K. Chaetae capillary from segment 10; L. Uncinus from segment 10; M. Uncinus from segment 25; N. Pygidium with digitate anal papillae. Scale bars: A, B 5 mm; C, J, K 0.05 mm; D, E, F, L; M 0.02; G, H, I 1 mm; N 0.5 mm.