Bradabyssa parthenopeia (Lo Bianco, 1893) n. comb., reinst.

Figure 40

Brada parthenopeia Lo Bianco, 1893: 44, Pl. 3, Fig. 1.

Type material. Mediterranean Sea. Holotype (ZMH-V 4050), off Stazione Zoologica Napoli, 15 m, 1892, S. Lo Bianco, coll.

Description. Holotype (ZMH-V 4050) complete; body cylindrical, slightly tapered towards both ends, slightly depressed; 30 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, cephalic cage 2 mm long, 35 chaetigers. Papillae long with large sediment particles forming rough tubercles, especially dorsally (Fig. 40A), 3–4 series per segment, smaller ventrally.

Cephalic hood not exposed. Prostomium low cone, eyes not seen. Caruncle well developed, elongated, separating branchial groups. Palps large, white, with wide longitudinal furrow (Fig. 40B); palp keels rounded, low. Lips not seen.

Branchiae cirriform, sessile on branchial plate, separated into two lateral groups, filaments arranged in several rows, about 30 filaments per side. Nephridial lobes in branchial plate, positioned towards inner base of branchial groups.

Cephalic cage chaetae as long as 1/15 body length, or slightly more than half as body width. Only chaetiger 1 involved in cephalic cage; chaetae arranged in short lateral series, each with 5–6 chaetae.

Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger papillated. Anterior chaetigers without especially long papillae. Chaetigers 1–3 progressively shorter. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt; aristate neurospines present from chaetiger 2. Gonopodial lobes in chaetiger 5 (Fig. 40B, C).

Parapodial well developed, lateral. Median neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodia and neuropodia close to each other. Notopodia and neuropodia with 4–5 inferior long papillae, notopodial papillae forming large rough tubercles, tips bare.

Median notochaetae arranged in short longitudinal series, all notochaetae multiarticulate capillaries, articles short basally, long medially, longer distally (Fig. 40D); 5–6 per bundle, as long as ½ body width. Neurochaetae multiarticulate capillaries in chaetiger 1; posterior chaetigers with aristate neurospines, arranged in an oblique series in median chaetigers, posterior chaetigers with chaetae in longitudinal series, mostly 6 chaetae per bundle. Each neurospine with very short rings basally and medially, some with an oblique line subdistally, distally hyaline, aristate (Fig. 40E).

Posterior end hemispherical, pygidium with anus terminal, anal cirri absent.

Remarks. Bradabyssa parthenopeia n. comb., was regarded as a junior synonym of B. villosa (Rathke, 1843) by Fauvel (1927:121–122), who also included B. rugosa (Hansen, 1882); he was probably following Haase (1915:35), who had also included B. pilosa Moore, 1906, in the synonyms. However, besides sharing the presence of sand particles on dorsal papillae, B. parthenopeia differs from B. villosa in several features including body shape and number of chaetigers: B. parthenopeia has a long, subcylindrical body and about 30 chaetigers, whereas B. villosa has a clavate or fusiform body and about 20 chaetigers. Thus, B. parthenopeia may be widespread in the Mediterranean and nearby Atlantic localities, but it might have been confused with B. villosa .

Distribution. Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea.