Protis Ehlers, 1887

Kupriyanova, Elena K., Nishi, Eijiroh, Kawato, Masaru & Fujiwara, Yoshihiro, 2010, New records of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from hydrothermal vents of North Fiji, Pacific Ocean, Zootaxa 2389 (1), pp. 57-68 : 62-63

Genus Protis Ehlers, 1887

Type-species: Protis simplex Ehlers, 1887

Generic diagnosis (from ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009: 78)

Tube white, opaque, without keels or flaring peristomes. Granular overlay absent. Operculum absent or one or more membranous globular opercula present on normal pinnulate radiole. Inter-radiolar membrane absent. Branchial eyes not observed. Stylodes absent. Mouth palps absent. 7 thoracic chaetigers. Collar trilobed with entire edge, tonguelets absent. Thoracic membranes long, at least to end of thorax and usually forming ventral apron across anterior abdominal segments. Collar chaetae fin-and-blade and limbate. Apomatus chaetae present. Thoracic uncini saw-shaped with about 6 teeth, anterior fang simple pointed. Triangular depression absent. Abdominal chaetae flat narrow geniculate with rounded teeth, exceptionally with slightly more triangular blade in P. hydrothermica . Abdominal uncini rasp-shaped in all segments, with up to 6 teeth in profile, approximately 5–7 teeth in row proximal to fang. Achaetous anterior abdominal zone absent. Long posterior capillary chaetae present. Posterior glandular pad may present.

Remarks. According to ten Hove & Kupriyanova (2009), the genus Protis contains 6 (or 7) described species mainly from bathyal and abyssal locations. Both operculate and non-operculate species are known; Protis arctica and P. polyoperculata have been reported to contain both operculate and non-operculate specimens ( Kupriyanova 1993; Ben-Eliahu & Fiege 1996; Kupriyanova & Jirkov 1997). Ben-Eliahu & Fiege (1996) argued that the presence or degree of development of the apron is an expression of a size-related character in the species characterized by them and thus, is not reliable to distinguish between immature individuals.