Paradiopatra cf. papillata ( Kucheruk, 1979 )

Paxton, Hannelore & Budaeva, Nataliya, 2013, Paradiopatra (Annelida: Onuphidae) from eastern Australian waters, with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 3686 (2), pp. 140-164 : 151-152

Paradiopatra cf. papillata ( Kucheruk, 1979)

Figure 7; Table 2

Onuphis papillata Kucheruk, 1979: 1227 –1228, fig. 1; 1981: 42.

Sarsonuphis papillata .— Fauchald 1982: 76.

Paradiopatra papillata .— Paxton 1986: 38; Budaeva & Fauchald 2011: 384 –387, figs 53, 54, table 11.

Material examined. SLOPE 6: 1 specimen (MV F 195956).

Description. Specimen posteriorly incomplete, measuring 7 mm in length for 24 chaetigers, 0.9 mm in width; overall yellowish to brownish, lacking colour pattern.

Prostomium anteriorly rounded, wider than long, with paired ovoid frontal lips, directed anteroventrally ( Fig. 7 A). Palps reaching chaetiger 1; lateral antennae reaching chaetiger 4; median antenna reaching chaetiger 3. Ceratophores of lateral antennae consisting of 4 rings with lateral projections on two basal rings on inner side, ceratophore of median antenna with 3 rings, with basal ring bearing paired lateral projections ( Fig. 7 A). Nuchal organs slightly curved. Eyes absent. Peristomium as long as first chaetiger. Peristomial cirri present, slender, about half as long as peristomium, inserted subdistally.

First three pairs of parapodia modified, projecting anterolaterally, directed slightly ventrally. Prechaetal lobes rounded on all parapodia; postchaetal lobes long and digitiform with triangular base on parapodia 1 ( Fig. 7 B) and 2, decreasing rapidly in size, absent from chaetiger 9. Dorsal cirri long and slender in anterior parapodia, becoming shorter towards end of fragment. Ventral cirri subulate on first three chaetigers, then replaced by rounded to oval ventral glandular pads.

Parapodia supported by 2–3 aciculae projecting more than half as far as falcigers and limbate chaetae from prechaetal lobes ( Fig. 7 B). First three pairs of parapodia with dorsal fascicle of 1–2 dorsal limbate chaetae and ventral fascicle of 3–4 pseudocompound falcigers. Falcigers tridentate with third tooth smaller than second, with moderately long hoods and slight constriction of appendage near beginning of hood ( Fig. 7 D). Two fascicles of simple limbate chaetae starting from chaetiger 4. Ventral fascicle of limbate chaetae replaced by paired bidentate subacicular hooks from chaetiger 9; more anterior hooks slenderer than posterior ones, but pairs about equal in size and length. Pectinate chaetae ( Fig. 7 C) slightly oblique with 12–16 teeth.

Branchiae absent. Jaws not examined. Pygidium and tube absent in specimen examined.

Remarks. Our specimen closely resembles P. papillata . It differs in having tridentate rather than bi- and tridentate falcigers, an earlier origin of subacicular hooks (chaetiger 9 vs. 11–12) and pectinate chaetae with less teeth (12–16 vs. 20–21). The earlier subacicular hooks could be related to its smaller size than the specimens of P. papillata reported by Budaeva and Fauchald (2011), but the tridentate rather than bi- and tridentate falcigers with their constricted appendages, and much smaller number of teeth on the pectinate chaetae might indicate a new species. However, in view of having only one specimen at hand we feel it is more prudent to report it as P. cf. papillata .

Distribution. Our specimen was collected off Nowra, NSW, southeastern Australia and fits geographically into the wide distribution pattern of P. papillata in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. However, our specimen comes from a depth of 770 m, while P. papillata is known from 2980–3700 m.