Filogranella Ben-Eliahu & Dafni, 1979

Ten Hove, Harry A. & Kupriyanova, Elena K., 2009, Taxonomy of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta): The state of affairs, Zootaxa 2036, pp. 1-126 : 44

11. Filogranella Ben-Eliahu & Dafni, 1979

( Fig. 18)

Type-species: Filogranella elatensis Ben-Eliahu & Dafni, 1979

Number of species: 1, maybe 3

Tubes white, opaque, circular in cross-section, with 5 longitudinal keels; peristomes absent. Granular overlay of the tube absent. Operculum and pseudoperculum absent (but see Remarks). Radioles arranged in semicircles, up to 9 per lobe. Inter-radiolar membrane and stylodes absent. Branchial eyes absent. Prominent prostomium with ocellar clusters. Mouth palps absent. 11–14 thoracic chaetigerous segments ( Fig. 18A). Well-developed trilobed collar continuous with thoracic membranes ending in mid-thorax, around 5 th –6 th thoracic chaetiger. Tonguelets absent. Collar chaetae limbate ( Fig. 18B). Apomatus chaetae present ( Fig. 18C). Thoracic uncini saw- to rasp-shaped with about 16 teeth in profile and up to 4 teeth in a row above peg. Triangular depression absent. Abdominal chaetae flat sickle shaped with blunt teeth on the edge ( Fig. 18E). Abdominal uncini rasp-shaped with> 20 teeth in profile, up to 7 teeth in a row; anterior peg blunt, slightly gouged underneath ( Fig. 18D). Achaetous anterior abdominal zone short. Posterior capillary chaetae present. Posterior glandular pad absent.

Remarks. Filogranella forms aggregations that resemble those of Filograna , but worms and their tubes are larger. However, Filograna differs from Filogranella in having fin-and-blade collar chaetae with proximal denticulate wing well separated from the distal limbate zone, a pair of well-developed thoracic membranes with apron, and rasp-shaped thoracic uncini ( Ben-Eliahu & Dafni 1979). Filogranella aggregations have been mentioned from various locations around the world in diving guides (e.g., Allen & Steene 1994, 1996, Colin & Arneson 1995, Gosliner et al. 1996, Weinberg 1996, Debelius 1998, Fosså & Nilsen, 2000: Red Sea, Indonesia, Philippines, Caribbean). Some colonies have specimens with opercula with flat chitinous endplates, on a flat peduncle (more or less like that of Metavermilia ) inserted as the second dorsal radiole. We suspect it is a complex of related species that needs to be sorted out. Vermiliopsis prampramiana Augener, 1918 , regarded to be undeterminable by Zibrowius (1973b), might belong here by its general chaetation pattern and 9 thoracic chaetigers. Neovermilia aberrans Rullier & Amoureux, 1979 , might rather belong in this genus.

1.? Filogranella aberrans ( Rullier & Amoureux, 1979) , Brazil

2. Filogranella elatensis Ben-Eliahu & Dafni, 1979 , Elat, Gulf of Aqaba; Indo-West Pacific, Central Atlantic, Caribbean; probably more than one species

3.? Filogranella prampramiana ( Augener, 1918) , Gold Coast, Africa.