Protula longiseta Schmarda, 1861

Bastida-Zavala, J. Rolando, McCANN, Linda D., Keppel, Erica & Ruiz, Gregory M., 2017, The fouling serpulids (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) from United States coastal waters: an overview, European Journal of Taxonomy 344, pp. 1-76 : 43-45

Protula longiseta Schmarda, 1861

Fig. 8

Protula longiseta Schmarda, 1861: 32–33 , pl. 22, fig. 184 (type locality: Jamaica, Caribbean Sea; in coral reef).

Protula longiseta – Augener 1925: 39–42 (type specimen revision and redescription). — Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a: 817, fig. 7h–o (Nizuc Point and Xahuayxhol Beach, Quintana Roo, Mexico; on rocks).

Material examined

One specimen: IR (1) Aug. 2005.

Diagnosis

Tube missing. Branchial crown with 16 radioles per lobe; radioles lack rounded process at end of interradiolar membrane. Thoracic membrane reaches fourth chaetiger. Operculum and opercular peduncle absent. Collar chaetae limbate.

Taxonomic remarks

Augener (1925) synonymized Protula antennata Ehlers, 1877 (from Morro Light, Florida) with P. longiseta ; however, the first species was described from bathyal depths (534 m), while P. longiseta

lives in shallow waters associated with coral reefs ( Schmarda 1861). A revision of the species of this genus is necessary ( ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009).

Ecology

Shallow waters. On corals ( Schmarda 1861), rocks and algae ( Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a).

Distribution

Caribbean Sea, from Jamaica to Mexico ( Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a). In this study, only one specimen of Protula longiseta was found on a fouling plate from the Indian River, Florida ( Fig. 8 ). This species provisionally extends its northward range from the Mexican Caribbean ( Bastida-Zavala & Salazar-Vallejo 2000a) to the Indian River, Florida (1000 km).

Figures

Fig. 8. Distribution of serpulids (Pomatostegus, Protula, Pseudochitinopoma and Pseudovermilia spp.) from United States fouling plates (closed symbols) and literature records (open symbols).