Marphysa gravelyi Southern, 1921

Hutchings, Pat, Lavesque, Nicolas, Priscilla, Lyndsay, Daffe, Guillemine, Malathi, E. & Glasby, Christopher J., 2020, A new species of Marphysa (Annelida: Eunicida: Eunicidae) from India, with notes on previously described or reported species from the region, Zootaxa 4852 (3), pp. 285-308 : 295

Marphysa gravelyi Southern, 1921

Marphysa gravelyi Southern, 1921: 617–622 , Plates XXIV, figs 13A–G, XXV, 13H–I, text figs 13a–d.— Gravely, 1927: 19.— Fauvel, 1932: 142; 1953: 246.— Glasby & Hutchings, 2010, Table 2.

Material examined. None.

Remarks. Glasby & Hutchings (2010) provide a description of M. gravelyi based on the paratype (BMNH 1938.5.7.55) and the type description in their Table 3. The important diagnostic characters are: median antenna slightly longer than outer pair with palps similar in length to outer antenna; branchiae from segments 22–52 and continuing almost to pygidium with a maximum of 5–9 filaments and much longer than dorsal cirri; pectinate chaetae from mid-body onwards (see Southern, 1921, fig. 13K, plate XXV); compound spinigers present after about chaetiger 100; bidentate subacicular hooks present from chaetiger 26 to 35 and two per chaetiger.

Ecology. Southern (1921, page 620) records that Annandale (in litt.) mentions an eunicid worm that produces large balloon-like masses of gelatinous spawn anchored to the mud by a tubiculous structure.

Southern also suggests that this may be the same species as Borradaile (1901) reported from a lagoon at Jaffna , on the northern coast of Sri Lanka which also produces eggs in jelly cocoon attached to the bottom by a short stalk, and described the early development. No material was deposited though. This record is far closer to the type locality of M. madrasi n. sp., but without voucher material we cannot confirm the possible conspecificity .

Distribution. Chilka Lake, India, 19°28’ and 19°54’ N. and 85°6’ and 85°35’ E. (the current co-ordinates for the lake are 19°28’21.5”N 85°07’32.4”E and 9°52’23.9”N 85°33’03.2”E, as the lake has shrunk since the original description).