Chloeia piotrowskiae, Salazar-Vallejo, 2023

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2023, Revision of Chloeia Savigny in Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida, Amphinomidae), Zootaxa 5238 (1), pp. 1-134 : 93-94

Chloeia piotrowskiae sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:23EC1D3E-EF9A-459F-B3E7-05204F8DFF86

Fig. 43

Type material. Philippines. Holotype ( CAS 186957 ), and two paratypes ( CAS 186957 b), Hearst Philippine Biodiversity Expedition 2011, MV DA-BFAR, Lubang Islands, off Ambil Island (13.91° N, 120.35° E; 13°54’36.00” N, 120°21’00.00” E), mixed bottom, sand and rocks, 82–86 m, 2 Jun. 2011, R. Mooi et al., coll. (paratypes complete, stiff, many chaetae broken, body 27.5–45.0 mm long, 6–7 mm wide, 29–34 chaetigers).

Diagnosis. Chloeia with bipinnate branchiae from chaetiger 4, decreasing in size posteriorly; middorsal band single, wide, continuous, running throughout body; caruncle pale; anterior notopodia with furcate harpoon chaetae and aciculars, median chaetigers with aciculars and harpoon chaetae without spurs; neurochaetae spurred and furcates.

Description. Holotype (CAS 186957) complete, stiff (fixed in 95% ethanol), slightly bent laterally, many chaetae broken, portions of venter along chaetigers 14–17 previously removed; body fusiform, 35 mm long, 6 mm wide, 31 chaetigers.

Holotype colorful, chaetae colorless, almost transparent; middorsal band reddish present along body from chaetiger 4 ( Fig. 43A ), continued to last chaetiger; middorsal band homogeneously wide throughout body ( Fig. 43C ); chaetigers 1–3 with similar bands bordering caruncle. Branchiae with orange stems and paler to white lateral branches. Dorsal cirri and ventral cirri of chaetiger 2 dark purple. Anterior parapodial surfaces with yellowish band.

Prostomium anteriorly entire, anterior prostomial area whitish ( Fig. 43B ). Eyes blackish, anterior eyes 3× larger than posterior ones. Median antenna inserted at anterior caruncular margin, 1/3 as long as caruncle, 2× longer than lateral antennae. Lateral antennae bases separate, reddish medially, slightly longer than palps. Mouth vental on chaetiger 2. Pharynx not exposed.

Caruncle pale, tapered, bent laterally, reaching chaetiger 4. Median ridge plicate, with about 30 vertical folds, most marked by a blackish spot, partially concealing lateral lobes. Lateral lobes narrow, with about 32 vertical folds.

Bipinnate branchiae from chaetiger 4, roughly parallel along body, progressively larger to chaetigers 10–14, decreasing in size posteriorly. Median segments with 14–16 lateral branches, each with a few secondary filaments.

Parapodia biramous, notopodia with cirriform branchiae along chaetigers 1–3, shorter progressively. Dorsal cirri longer than bipinnate branchiae along median chaetigers, 2–3× longer in posterior chaetigers. Second ventral cirri with cirrophores 3–4× wider, and cirrostyles 3–4× longer than adjacent ones, directed dorsally. Other ventral cirri directed ventrolaterallly, as long as one subsequent segment.

Chaetae generally broken in holotype, observed in largest paratype for avoiding further damage. Complete chaetae without distal hoods, probably eroded. Anterior notochaetae a few aciculars and many harpoon-chaetae, a few without spurs, others with spurs 1/3–1/5 as long as denticulate ( Fig. 43F ). Median chaetigers with a few short aciculars and longest harpoon-shaped chaetae without spurs ( Fig. 43H ). Neurochaetae mostly furcates and spurred chaetae, furcates with major tines thinner in anterior chaetigers ( Fig. 43G ), major tines about 4× longer than minor one; posterior chaetigers ( Fig. 43I ) with furcates, major tines 3—6×longer than minor ones.

Posterior region tapered ( Fig. 43D ); pygidium with anus terminal; anal cirri unknown, lost in holotype and paratypes.

Live pigmentation (after C. Piotrowski notes after collecting). Middorsal longitudinal band and branchiae red. Median caruncular rigde with black spots, Dorsal cirri, and ventral cirri of chaetiger 2 dark purple.

Etymology. This species is named after M. Sc. Christina Piotrowski, Collection Manager, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, in recognition of her long-term efforts in collecting polychaetes from many tropical localities all over the world, and especially by her support to my research activities. The derived name is a noun in the genitive case ( ICZN 1999, Art. 31.1.2).

Variation. Most morphological features are present in paratypes. The middorsal reddish band has faded off in last few chaetigers. Anterior eyes are 4× as long as posterior ones in the smallest paratype, 3× as long in the longest one ( Fig. 41E ). The median antenna is ¼–1/3 as long as caruncle.

Remarks. Chloeia piotrowskiae sp. n. is described with specimens from The Philippines; it belongs in the group venusta because it has a middorsal band, bipinnate branchiae from chaetiger 4, decreasing in size posteriorly. Because the middorsal band is regular, continuous throughout complete segments, it resembles C. gilchristi Mc-Intosh, 1924 from South Africa, redescribed above, C. poupini sp. n. from the French Polynesia described below, and C. venusta de Quatrefages, 1866 from the Mediterranean Sea, redescribed below. However, C. piotrowskiae separates from these species because it is the only species having harpoon notochaetae in anterior parapodia.

Distribution. The Philippines, in sediments at 82–86 m water depth.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Chloeia murrayae sp. n., holotype (AM W28128). A. Anterior region, dorsal view. B. Anterior end, oblique dorsal view. C. Chaetiger 3, notochaetal tips. D. Same, neurochaetal tips. E. Chaetiger 15, notochaetal tips. F. Same, neurochaetal tips. G. Posterior region, dorsal view. Scale bars: A, 2.3 mm; B, 0.8 mm; C, E, 110 μm; D, F, 30 μm; G, 1.5 mm.

FIGURE 43. Chloeia piotrowski sp. n. A. Holotype (CAS 186957), anterior region, dorsal view. B. Same, anterior end, oblique left lateral view, after Methyl Green staining. C. Same, chaetigers 9-11, dorsal view. D. Same, posterior region, dorsal view. E. Largest paratype (CAS 186957b), anterior end, dorsal view, after Methyl green staining. F. Chaetiger 4, notochaetal tips. G. Same, neurochaetal tips. H. Chaetiger 10, notochaetal tips. I. Same, neurochaetal tips. Scale bars:A, 2 mm; B, 1 mm; C, 0.7 mm; D, 1.7 mm; E, 1.4 mm; F, 200 μm; G, I, 40 μm; H, 160 μm.