Ophryotrocha mammillata Ravara, Marçal, Wiklund & Hilário, 2015

Ophryotrocha mammillata Ravara et al., 2015: 5, figs 4–12 (type locality: Setúbal Canyon, W Portugal, NE Atlantic).

Material examined

MOROCCO • 2 specs (ethanol), 1 spec. (slide preparation); GoC, Mercator MV, 35°17.916′ N, 06°38.709′ W; 354 m depth; 2 Mar. 2008; Stn 64PE284_12750W; wood substrata; DBUA0002279.01 • 1 spec. (ethanol); GoC, Meknès MV; 34°59.091′ N, 07°04.424′ W; 698 m depth; 20 May 2009; Stn B09- 14b_03A; alfalfa substratum; DBUA0002280.01 • 1 spec. (ethanol); GoC, Darwin MV; 35°23.523′ N, 07°11.513′ W; 1100 m depth; 19 May 2009; Stn B09-14b_02W; wood substratum; DBUA0002280.02 •

2 specs (formalin), 3 specs (paragenophores, in ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; 19 May 2009; Stn B09-14b_02A; alfalfa substrata; DBUA 0002280.03.

Additional material

PORTUGAL • 2 specs (ethanol); WIM, Setúbal Canyon; 38°16.856′ N, 09°06.734′ W; 1000 m depth; 22 Aug. 2012; on bone material from an experimentally deployed cow carcass; DBUA0001555.04 .

Remarks

This species was recently described from an experimentally deployed mammal carcass for a similar amount of time (approximately 18 months) at the Setúbal Canyon (WIM) (Ravara et al. 2015). The morphological identification was confirmed with molecular analyses (Fig. 2). This study extends its distribution to the Gulf of Cadiz where it occurred associated with experimentally deployed wood and alfalfa substrata. Curiously, O. mammillata was not found in the wood-fall collected at Estremadura Spur (WIM), a site very close to its type locality. It is worth mentioning here that in the GoC only five specimens of O. mammillata were retrieved, compared to 198 specimens previously reported from the Setúbal Canyon (Ravara et al. 2015).

Ecology and distribution

NE Atlantic: from Setúbal Canyon (West Iberian Margin) to the Gulf of Cadiz. Found in experimentally deployed organic falls (mammal carcasses, wood and alfalfa substrata), at a depth of 354–1100 m (Ravara et al. 2015; present study).