Polycirrus purpureus Schmarda, 1861

Glasby, Christopher J. & Hutchings, Pat, 2014, Revision of the taxonomy of Polycirrus Grube, 1850 (Annelida: Terebellida: Polycirridae), Zootaxa 3877 (1), pp. 1-117 : 97

Polycirrus purpureus Schmarda, 1861

Fig. 54a–e

Polycirrus purpureus Schmarda, 1861:39 , pl 25, fig. 194.

Apneumea purpurea .— Quatrefages, 1865: 383.

Type locality. Jamaica .

Material examined. SYNYTPES: 9, NMW 1795. Jamaica, south coast.

Description. Complete specimen well preserved with body wall mainly intact and chaetae mainly intact, pinkish brown in colour, 20 mm long, 1.5 mm wide excluding buccal tentacles, with 160 segments. Anterior fragment 5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide for 11 segments; posterior fragment 20 mm long, 1.5 mm wide for about 60 segments. Description based upon complete specimen. Sex unknown.

Dorsum anteriorly faintly ridged or faintly tessellated. Venter anteriorly with mid-ventral groove and discrete ventro-lateral pads; pads incised with longitudinal grooves, extending from segment 3 to 12. Mid-ventral groove from segment 3 ( Fig. 54a ).

Buccal tentacles numerous of two types: (1) cylindrical, thickened distally and distinctly grooved and (2) cylindrical, uniformly thin and weakly grooved, both arising at junction between prostomium and upper lip. Prostomial ridge distinctly curved, extending laterally along anterodorsal base of upper lip. Upper lip trefoiled with lateral blindly-ending enclosed diverticulae, margin of medial lobe convoluted; oral surface glandular, ciliated, with grooves leading to mouth. Inner lower lip oblong, ridged; outer region flat, shield-like, oblong, longer than wide, ridged and grooved, extending posteriorly to segment 3. At least one achaetous segment visible entirely as distinct ring.

Notochaetigerous segments 82–84, extending to segments 84–86. Notopodia more-or-less rectangular, short, prechaetal lobe low, postchaetal lobe digitiform, postchaetal lobe longer than prechaetal ( Fig. 54b ). Notochaetae within a chaetiger consisting of one type (chaetigers 4, 21 examined), two distinct lengths, hirsute, uniformly tapered, posteriorly same form as those anteriorly ( Fig. 54c ). Neurochaetae beginning on segment 14. Neuropodial tori ridge-like, similar along body. Uncini with short neck and straight to convex base (Type 1), teeth above main fang arranged in double transverse series (MF:3:5–6), single enlarged median tooth above main fang absent, subrostral process absent ( Fig. 54d,e ).

Nephridial papillae present, globular, inside a depression ( Fig. 54a ). Pre-gular membrane nephridial papillae present on segments 3–4. Post-gular membrane nephridial papillae present, extending from segments 5 to 12; situated at antero-ventral base of notopodia. Pygidium simple rosette.

Comments. Augener (1925) redescribed other syntypes of P. purpureus (Nr 99) housed in the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, and concluded that this species is a senior synonym of P. luminosus . We have not followed this synonymy for the reasons stated earlier (see comments under P. luminosus ).

Figures

FIGURE 54. Polycirrus purpureus Schmarda. Syntypes NMW 1795. a. Anterior ventral view. b. Left side anterior lateral view of notopodium, chaetiger 4. c. Notochaetae from chaetiger 4 illustrated at x40 and x100. d. Lateral and frontal views of uncini from segment 23. e. Lateral views of uncini from posterior segment.