Josephella Caullery & Mesnil, 1896

Ten Hove, Harry A. & Kupriyanova, Elena K., 2009, Taxonomy of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta): The state of affairs, Zootaxa 2036, pp. 1-126 : 57-59

18. Josephella Caullery & Mesnil, 1896

( Fig. 25)

Type-species: Josephella marenzelleri Caullery & Mesnil, 1896

Number of species: 1

Tube white, opaque, circular in cross-section, with small peristomes; tube diameter approximately 0.1 mm. Granular overlay absent. Operculum delicate membranous cup with a flat distal surface surmounted by a marginal crown of fine teeth joined by a transparent membrane. Peduncle second non-modified pinnulate radiole, though Bush (1905) and Ben-Eliahu & Payiatas (1999: 109) mention a non-pinnulate radiole (the first as J. humilis ). Pseudoperculum absent. Radioles arranged in semi-circles, up to 3 per lobe. Inter-radiolar membrane absent. Branchial eyes absent, a pair of red ocellar clusters at the base of collar. Stylodes absent. Mouth palps absent. 5 thoracic chaetigerous segments. Collar non-lobed. Tonguelets absent. Thoracic membranes short, ending at first chaetiger. Collar chaetae limbate. Apomatus chaetae present ( Fig. 25A). Uncini rasp-shaped, with 10–12 teeth seen in profile, 4 teeth in a row distally to 7 above peg ( Fig. 25B, C). Anterior peg gouged, widened into a rectangular to trapezoid base, flat, but with sharp angles that sometimes curve underneath (thus giving a bifurcate appearance under compound microscope). Triangular depression absent. Abdominal chaetae flat narrow geniculate with pointed denticulate edge ( Fig. 25D). Abdominal uncini with 9–10 teeth in a row. Achaetous anterior abdominal zone long. Posterior capillary chaetae absent. Posterior glandular pad absent.

Remarks. This tiny serpulid is known from numerous circum(sub)tropical, temperate locations around the world: Australia ( Dew 1959), Japan ( Uchida 1978, Imajima 1979), Hawaii ( Bailey-Brock 1991), Israel ( Ben-Eliahu 1976), Italy ( Bianchi 1981), Cyprus ( Ben-Eliahu & Payiatas 1999), Germany (Hartmann- Schröder 1971), France ( Fauvel 1927, Zibrowius 1968a), west coast of Africa ( Zibrowius 1973b), north coast of Tunis ( Zibrowius 1979a). The species was confused with Rhodopsis (by Straughan 1967a fig. 5i). Ben- Eliahu & Payiatas (1999) provided SEMs of Josephella chaetae. Dew (1959) mentioned a single specimen with two opercula equal in size.

Josephella marenzelleri Caullery & Mesnil, 1896 , circum(sub)tropical, temperate.