Parahaplosyllis kumpol, Álvarez-Campos, Patricia, Martín, Guillermo San & Aguado, M. Teresa, 2013

Álvarez-Campos, Patricia, Martín, Guillermo San & Aguado, M. Teresa, 2013, A new species and new record of the commensal genus Alcyonosyllis Glasby & Watson, 2001 and a new species of Parahaplosyllis Hartmann-Schröder, 1990, (Annelida: Syllidae: Syllinae) from Philippines Islands, Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 156-168 : 163-166

Parahaplosyllis kumpol n. sp.

Figs 5 , 6

Material examined. HOLOTYPE (NMA 004441). Philippines Islands: Sombrero Island, Balayan Bay, Luzón Island, 13º41’52’’N – 120º49’47’’E, coral rubble, 2–8 m deep, 6 December 2010.

Aditional material. One middle section mounted for SEM (MNCN 16.01/14699) and one posterior part with stolons fixed in ethanol (MNCN 16.01/14696). Philippines Islands: "Mainif point", between Balayan Bay and Batangas bay, Luzón Island, 13º40’48’’N – 120º51’20’’E, coral rubble, 20 m deep, 8 December 2010.

Comparative material. Parahaplosyllis brevicirra . Holotype (ZMH P–19959) and Paratype (ZMH P–19960) Australia, New South Wales: Maclean, algae, intertidal, 18 Jan 1976, G. Hartmann-Schröder coll.; 1 specimen on SEM stub (AM W26328) Northeast corner of Clark Island, 33º 51.85’S – 151º 14.47’E, encrustation on outside of bottle, 5 m, P. Hutchings coll., 17 Apr 1996; 1 specimen (AM W26341) 50 m west of Split Solitary Island, 30º 14.0’S 153º 10.8’E, Herdmania momus , rocks, sponges and ascidians, 16 m, P. Hutchings & C. Rose coll., 7 Mar 1992; 2 specimens (AM W26327) 400 yards south of southern entrance to Jervis Bay, 35º7’S – 150º46’E, 23 m, P. Hutchings coll., 22 Jul 1972; 1 specimen (AM W36259) Pontoon 400 m east of The Basin, Pittwater, 33°36.15'S – 151°17.82'E, pontoon epibionts, 11 m, M. Capa & AM staff coll., 4 Mar 2009; 5 specimens (NSW 3399, AM W35528) White Bay Berth 3, Sydney Harbour, 33°51.78’S – 151°11'E, wharf epibionts, 11 m, M. Capa & AM staff coll., 5 Mar 2009; 17 specimens (AM W35529) East side of Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour, 33°50.88'S – 151°10.5'E, pontoon epibionts, 4.4 m, M. Capa & AM staff coll., 5 Mar 2009.

Description. One anterior fragment (holotype) of 3.4 mm long, 0.7 mm wide, 34 chaetigers, one midbody fragment (used for SEM), 2.1 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, 23 chaetigers, and a posterior part of 48 chaetigers, 6.5 mm long, 0.6 mm wide. Body elongated, strongly flattened, with numerous short segments ( Figs 5 A, 6C); opaque, yellowish in alcohol. Prostomium subcircular, proportionally large, ( Fig. 5 A); four eyes in rectangular arrangement and two anterior eyespots ( Fig. 5 A). Antennae shorter than prostomium, inserted on anterior margin of prostomium, directed posteriorly ( Fig. 5 A); median antenna slightly longer than lateral antenna (left one missing), with about five articles; lateral right antenna with 3–4 articles. Palps small, short, completely separate ( Fig. 5 A, B). Peristomium dorsally reduced, indistinct ( Fig. 5 A); ventrally well developed ( Fig. 5 B); two pairs of short tentacular cirri; dorsal tentacular cirri slightly longer than lateral antennae, with about 6 articles (left one missing); ventral tentacular cirri with single, rounded article ( Fig. 5 B). Dorsal cirri all short, distinctly articulated ( Figs 5 A, 6C), longer than parapodial lobes, with about four articles on most anterior segments, only three after segments 5 or 6 ( Figs 5 A, 6C). Cilia present at bases of dorsal cirri ( Fig. 6 E). Ventral cirri ovate ( Fig. 5 B). Parapodial lobes conical ( Fig. 5 A). Parapodia each with two simple chaetae ( Figs 5 A, 6D, F); one long, relatively slender, distally pointed, acuminate, unidentate, smooth ( Figs 5 A, C, 6D, F), and another robust simple, thick, bidentate, with slightly curved, basal spur ( Figs 5 A, D, 6D, F). Acicula solitary, slender, distally pointed ( Figs 5 E, 6D, F). Pharynx long, slender, with proximal coil ( Fig. 5 A), through 6 chaetigers; pharyngeal armature not seen. Proventricle short, through about 3 segments, with about 16–18 muscle cell rows. Pygidium not seen. Posterior fragment with two stolons and regenerating segments on ventral side at junction of body with stolon ( Fig. 6 A).

Reproductive mode. One posterior part of a specimen with two attached dicerous (two pairs of eyes and one pair of small unarticulated antennae) stolons developing dorsally in bunch ( Fig. 6 A), and beginning a ventral regeneration of segments. Longest dorsal stolon is 2.8 mm long, with 25 chaetigers; without natatory chaetae, “head” with two lateral short, unarticulated appendages, two dorsal and two ventral eyes ( Fig. 6 A, B). Shorter stolon is 1.2 mm long with 23 chaetigers, without eyes or appendages. Both stolons without natatory chaetae.

Remarks. This is the second known species of the genus, and the first report of Parahaplosyllis outside Australia. The type-species of the genus, P. brevicirra , is larger, with weakly articulated dorsal cirri, much longer proventricle, bidentate dorsal simple chaeta, and ventral simple chaeta with much larger, strongly curved basal spur (Hartmann-Schröder 1990; San Martín et al. 2010).

Ecology. Among coral rubble, 2–8 m depth.

Etymology. The name “ kumpol ” in Tagalog (the Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines Islands), meaning bunch, which describes the arrangement of the stolon.

Distribution. Luzón Island, Philippines.

Discussion

A revision of the genera Alcyonosyllis and Parahaplosyllis from the Philippines has been performed. Two new species are described: Alcyonosyllis aidae n. sp., and Parahaplosyllis kumpol n. sp., and for the first time, different types of reproductive forms are described for both genera.

Apparently, stolons of A. aidae n.sp. agree with Chaetosyllis (Dicerous) type, as other species of the genus, but these specimens also present a pair of small, ventrally-directed palps. This kind of stolon also agrees with the definition of Tetracerous (two palps and two antennae), but the known stolons of this type have the antennae articulated and the palps are longer and frontally directed (San Martín 2003). The Pentacerous type also present a pair of small ventrally-directed palps as those of our species, but it also has three articulated antennae. It could be a different, unnamed kind of stolon, but our knowledge about the evolution and phylogenetic significance of the stolons is still limited.

Furthermore, this is the first report of a species of the genus lacking the natatory chaetae. Alcyonosyllis phili was reported with “epitokal chaetae not fully mature” ( Glasby & Watson 2001), but none of our specimens, including detached ones, present any kind of natatory chaetae. The association with other organisms may be an important factor in the lack these chaetae, which is a convergent character in many other different genera such as Parahaplosyllis or Haplosyllis .

It is also the first time that a bunch of stolons are described in Parahaplosyllis . It is quite surprising the simultaneous development of two stolons, plus a regeneration of segments; development of bunches of stolons is not common in Syllidae and up to now it has been only reported in some species of its sister group, Trypanosyllis Claparède, 1864 (Okada 1933; Jonson 1902; Izuka 1906; Potts 1913; Nogueira & Fukuda 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Parahaplosyllis kumpol n. sp. Holotype (NMA 004441) A: anterior end, dorsal view; B: detail of prostomium and anterior-most segments, ventral view; C: dorsal chaeta, anterior parapodia; D: ventral chaeta anterior parapodia; E: acícula. Scale. - A, B; 0.195 mm; C: 20 µm.

FIGURE 6. Parahaplosyllis kumpol n. sp. Paratype (MNCN 16.01 / 14696) A: posterior part with attached stolons; B: detail of dorsal-most stolon. Parahaplosyllis kumpol n. sp. (MNCN 16.01 / 14699). SEM. C: midbody segments, dorsal view; D: midbody parapodia; E: detail of cilia, cirri base. F: chaetae, midbody parapodia. DC: dorsal cirri; CL: cilia.