Dayipsammolyce paulayi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3426B17A-F0F9-4624-B477-41C48EBFF05F

Figs 2A–B, E–F, M–N, 3–4

Diagnosis

A species of Dayipsammolyce with second elytra pear-shaped with one median and one posterior process; neurochaetae from segment II with whorled handles and falcate blades.

Etymology

This species is named after Dr Gustav Paulay, echinoderm specialist and curator of marine invertebrates at the University of Florida Natural History Museum, Gainesville, in recognition of his support by kindly sharing many of the specimens used in this study. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case (ICZN 1999, Art. 31.1.2).

Material examined

Holotype SAINT MARTIN • complete spec.; Chicot, windward side of Tintamarre Island; 18°06′7″ N, 62°58′58″ W; depth 13–19 m; 23 Apr. 2012; Mandy Bemis and Frank Roncuzzi leg.; reef in sand; UF 2777.

Paratype SAINT MARTIN • 1 complete spec., 74 segments, 1.7 cm long, 0.8 cm to segment 30, 0.3 cm wide; same locality as for holotype; depth 15–18 m; 12 Apr. 2012; Frank Roncuzzi leg.; reef in sand; UF 2618 .

Description (holotype)

BODY. Pale yellow, long, broad (Fig. 3A); 104 segments, 2.8 cm long, 0.5 cm to segment 30, 0.1 cm wide. Middorsal line covered with foreign particles attached to adhesive papillae (Fig. 3B). Venter covered with short globular and long papillae (Fig. 3C).

PROSTOMIUM. Oval, wider than long. Two pairs of eyes, anterior eyes larger, inserted anteriorly. Lateral antennae small, slender; ceratophores longer than style, dorsally fused with tentacular segment. Median antenna with bulbous ceratophore with a dorsal ridge; basally with small ctenidia, ceratophore slightly larger than prostomium; style short, almost twice as long as ceratophore (Fig. 3B). Middorsal lobe of segment II absent. Facial tubercle large, bulbous, stalk reduced (Fig. 3D). First segment directed anteriorly, fused with tentacular segment; biramous, chaetae simple verticillate. Dorsal tentacular cirrus longer than neuropodia including chaetae, ventral tentacular cirrus as long as dorsal one; palps laterally displaced, short, reaching segment four, with inner palpal sheaths (Fig. 3C). Pharynx partially everted, margin papillate (Fig. 3E). Paratype with pharynx completely everted (Fig. 3F).

ELYTRA. First three right elytra missing. Second left elytron pear-shaped, with one median and one posterior process (Fig. 4F), covered with a few foreign particles and foraminifera, and several kinds of papillae: dendritic short papillae, pedunculate papillae with truncated tips, pedunculate papillae with flat tips, and flat papillae (Figs 2E–F, M–N, 4H, K); central region with a patch of long dendritic papillae; marginal papillae long dendritic, bifurcate (Fig. 4I). Third left elytron slightly longer than second, with same distribution and kinds of papillae as second elytron. Posterior right elytron round (Fig. 4G), with two posterior and one medial process, with same kinds of papillae, but less abundant, and with microtubercles (Fig. 2A–B).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT II (Fig. 3G). Notopodia leaf-shaped, smooth (non-papillate), slightly shorter than neuropodia, notopodial flange fleshy. With up to 100 simple verticillate notochaetae, tips hooked, shortest ones slightly longer than notopodia, longest ones 3× as long (Fig. 3H). Neuropodia conical, smooth (non-papillate), slightly larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers, blades falcate, bifid, subdistal tooth broken in most blades: unit A, eight falcigers with handles thick, whorled with fimbriae, blades short, 4–5× as long as wide (Fig. 3I); unit B, two falcigers with handles thick, whorled with fimbriae, blades short, 3× as long as wide (Fig. 3J); unit C and D undifferentiated, six falcigers with handles slender, whorled with fimbriae, blades long, 6–7 × as long as wide (Fig. 3K).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT III (Fig. 3L). Notopodia oval, smooth (non-papillate), short, half as long as neuropodia, notopodial flange fleshy. With up to 100 simple verticillate notochaetae, tips hooked, shortest ones half as long as notopodia, longest ones twice as long (Fig. 3M). Neuropodia conical, smooth (non-papillate), larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only bifid falcigers: unit A, four falcigers with handles thick, with 5–7 transverse rows of fimbriae, blades medium-sized, 4 × as long as wide (Fig. 3N); unit B, three falcigers with handles thick with 7–8 transverse rows of fimbriae, blades medium-sized, 6–7 × as long as wide (Fig. 3O); unit C, eight falcigers with handles thick with 8–10 transverse rows of fimbriae, blades medium-sized, 5–6 × as long as wide (Fig. 3P); unit D, two falcigers with handles thick with 11–12 transverse rows of fimbriae, blades medium-sized, 5–6 × as long as wide (Fig. 3Q).

RIGHT PARAPODIUM FROM SEGMENT 32 (MIDDLE SEGMENT) (Figs 3R, 4A). Notopodia conical, smooth (nonpapillate), short, half as long as neuropodia, notopodial flange absent, with lobe instead. With up to

60 simple verticillate notochaetae, tips hooked, shortest ones as long as notopodia, longest ones 4× as long (Figs 3S, 4B). Neuropodia conical, papillate, larger than notopodia. Neurochaetae only falcigers: unit A, two falcigers with handles thick with 2 transverse rows of spines, blades short, 2× as long as wide (Fig. 3T); unit B, two falcigers with handles thick with 3 transverse rows of spines, blades medium-sized, 4–5 × as long as wide (Figs 3U, 4C); unit C, eight falcigers with handles slender, smooth, with subdistal transverse row of denticles, blades short, 2 × as long as wide (Figs 3V, 4D); subunit 1, three falcigers with handles thick, smooth, with subdistal transverse rows of denticles, blades short, 2× as long as wide (Fig. 3W); subunit 2, two falcigers with handles slender, smooth, blades medium-sized, 5–6 × as long as wide (Fig. 3X); unit D, two falcigers with handles slender, smooth, blades long, 8–10 × as long as wide (Figs 3Y, 4E).

PYGIDIUM. Rounded, with two anal cirri.

Remarks

Before this study, Dayipsammolyce was considered monotypic with D. ctenidophora, described from North Carolina, as its only species. Dayipsammolyce paulayi sp. nov. differs from D. ctenidophora in several features. Dayipsammolyce paulayi sp. nov. has the second right elytron pear-shaped, with only one median and one posterior process, whereas in D. ctenidophora it is subrectangular, with five posterior processes (Pettibone 1997: 29, fig. 20b). Another relevant difference between both species is found in the neurochaetae from segment II. The neurochaetae of D. paulayi sp. nov. are falcigers with thick and whorled handles and short falcate blades, whereas in D. ctenidophora the neurochaetae are falcigers with slender handles covered by transverse rows of spines, and short straight blades (Pettibone 1997: 28, fig. 18d).

Distribution

Caribbean Sea. Saint Martin, French Antilles.