Lamprophaea ockeri, Salazar-Vallejo, 2020

Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio I., 2020, Revision of Leocrates Kinberg, 1866 and Leocratides Ehlers, 1908 (Annelida, Errantia, Hesionidae), Zootaxa 4739 (1), pp. 1-114 : 38-40

Lamprophaea ockeri n. sp.

Fig. 19

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:911F3E10-8E2E-4FEF-AF6B-3CD7532F609B

Type material. Central Pacific. Northeastern Hawaiian Islands. Holotype ( LACM 10143 ), Papahãnamokuãkea Marine National Monument, Pearl and Hermes Reef, maze at inside eastern section of atoll, R/ V Oscar Elton Sette, Sta. 30103 (27°50’ N, 175°55’ W), depth unspecified, ghost net and marine debris removal operation, 23 Oct. 2007, L. Harris, coll.

Description. Holotype (LACM 10143) complete, slightly dehydrated along middle and posterior regions, twisted posteriorly. Body obconic, brownish anteriorly ( Fig. 19A ), slightly wider medially, blunt anteriorly, tapered posteriorly, 49 mm long, 5 mm wide (without parapodia), 16 chaetigers; left parapodium of chaetiger 8 dissected (kept in container), an oblique anteroventral dissection made for observing pharynx jaws. Most tentacular, dorsal and ventral cirri broken or missing. Body brownish anteriorly, from chaetiger 5 onward pale, eyes dark brown.

Prostomium twice wider than long, tapered posteriorly ( Fig. 19B ). Lateral antennae with ceratophores distinct, antennae longer than prostomium, as long as palps; palpophores three times longer than palpostyles. Median antenna long, surpassing anterior prostomial margin, inserted centrally on prostomium, between eyes.

Eyes dark brown, anterior eyes emarginate anteriorly, slightly larger than posterior ones, emarginate, more distant to each other than posterior round eyes.

Nuchal organs lobes L-shaped, lateral projections extended beyond lateral prostomial margins, projections with parallel sides, not expanded medially, ridge slightly brackish; lateral ciliated bands wide, clearly visible dorsally. Tentacular cirri mostly broken, longer ones reaching chaetiger 5. Lateral cushions low, not projected along anterior chaetigers, divided into three sections; swollen in middle and posterior segments, entire; longitudinal striae visible.

Pharynx partially exposed, jaws observed by dissection. Lateral vesicles not seen. Anterior margin with about 22 regular furrows, larger ventrolaterally. Middorsal and midventral jaws single, pale, exposed, inserted below pharynx margin; ventral jaw smaller than dorsal one.

Dorsal cirri (without tip in chaetiger 4) longer than body width, including parapodia. Chaetigers 1–3 without notochaetae; notochaetae present along chaetigers 4–16, about 60 per bundle, broken in some chaetigers, delicate, arranged in a transverse fan, notochaetae subdistally denticulate, denticles coarse. Notacicular lobes long, tapered ( Fig. 19C ), neuracicular lobes projected, blunt, tips round, slightly longer than wide; aciculae black, tapered; ventral cirri tapered, surpass neurochaetal lobes. Neurochaetae about 40 per bundle, some blades missing, blades decreasing in size ventrally, bidentate, 4–9 times longer than wide ( Fig. 19D ), guards approaching subdistal tooth.

Posterior end tapered, distorted by compression. Preanal segment with dorsal cirri twice longer than ventral ones. Pygidum with anus dorsoterminal, ventral surface dark brown, anal cirri breaking appart, anal cirri reaching chaetiger 16.

Oocytes not seen.

Etymology. The name of this species is a modest homage to Mr. David Ocker in recognition of his three decades of unrestricted support to our research activities, through his unlimited cordiality and generosity by housing my younger colleagues, or my wife and myself in his home. The species-group name is a noun in the genitive case ( ICZN 1999, Art. 31.1.2).

Remarks. Lamprophaea ockeri n. sp. belongs in the group of species provided with notochaetae from chaetiger 4, and resembles L. aurita ( Hessle, 1925) n. comb., reinstated, from Japan. There are several differences between these two species, the most important ones are in the prostomial and nuchal organs lobes shape. In L. ockeri the posterior prostomial margins are curved, and the lateral nuchal organ branches have parallel sides, whereas in L. aurita posterior prostomial margins are straight, leaving some space from the posterior eyes, and nuchal organs lobes lateral projections are medially and distally swollen.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in the Northeastern Hawaiian Islands.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Lamprophaea ockeri n. sp., holotype (LACM 10143). A. Anterior region, dorsal view. B. Anterior end, dorsal view. C. Chaetiger 8, left parapodium, anterior view, MGS. D. Same, neurochaetal blades including longest and shortest ones. Scale bars: A: 1.2 mm, B: 0.8 mm, C: 0.5 mm, D: 0.1 mm.