Brania articulata Hartmann-Schröder, 1982

Guillermo San Martin, 2005, Exogoninae (Polychaeta: Syllidae) from Australia With the Description of a New Genus and Twenty-two New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 57, pp. 39-152 : 103-105

Brania articulata Hartmann-Schröder, 1982

Fig. 58A–J

Brania articulata Hartmann-Schröder, 1982: 68 , figs. 53–56; 1990: 52, fig. 23.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND. 1 specimen, AM W27892, Hinchinbrook Channel, 18°20'S 146°4'E, tidal mud- and sandflats, S. Dittmann, 22 Oct 1991. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 2 specimens, AM W27098, Goss Passage, Beacon Island, 28°25.5'S 113°47.0'E, dead Acropora plates with sponges, ascidians & algae, 23 m, P.A. Hutchings, 19 May 1994. 1 specimen, AM W27099, Goss Passage, Beacon Island, 28°25.5'S 113°47.0'E, dead Acropora plates covered in coralline algae, 8 m, P.A. Hutchings, 19 May 1994. 2 specimens, AM W27100, north end of Long Island, 28°27.9'S 113°46.3'E, dead coral substrate with coralline & brown algae, 6 m, C. Bryce, 22 May 1994. 1 specimen, AM W27101, southeast end of Long Island, 28°28.8'S 113°46.5'E, dead coral embedded in calcareous substrate, 30 m, P.A. Hutchings, 22 May 1994. 1 specimen, AM W27102, northeast entrance to Goss Passage, Beacon Island, 28°27.9'S 113°46.7'E, dead branching Acropora with coralline & brown algae, 24 m, P.A. Hutchings, 25 May 1994. 1 specimen, AM W27103, northeast entrance to Goss Passage, Beacon Island, 28°27.9'S 113°46.7'E, dead plate-like Acropora covered in coralline algae, 8 m, P.A. Hutchings, 25 May 1994. 1 specimen, AM W27104, East Montlivet Island, 15°06'S 125°18'E, 6 m, P.A. Hutchings, 16 July 1988. 2 specimens, AM W27105, southwest corner of Lucas Island, 15°13'S 124°31'E, 30 m, P.A. Hutchings, 24 July 1988. 1 specimen, AM W27415, north end of beach, Bundegi Reef, Exmouth Gulf, 21°49'S 114°11'E, rocky rubble, coralline algae with green epiphyte, 2 m, H.E. Stoddart, 4 Jan 1984. 2 specimens, AM W27421, Red Bluff, Kalbarri, 27°42'S 114°09'E, brown alga from surf zone on rocky shore, 0.5 m, H.E. Stoddart, 9 Jan 1984.

Description. Body small, a mature male about 2.54 mm long, 0.12 mm wide, for 29 chaetigers. Prostomium semicircular to pentagonal, with 4 large eyes in trapezoidal arrangement and 2 anterior, small eyespots. Antennae elongate, spindle-shaped to bowling-pin shaped; median antenna longer than lateral ones, slightly shorter than combined length of prostomium and palps, inserted between posterior eyes; lateral antennae slightly longer than prostomium, inserted in front of anterior eyes, similar in shape to median antenna. Palps similar in length to prostomium, fused for their basal half (Fig. 58A).

Peristomium similar in length to following segments or longer in relaxed specimens; dorsal tentacular cirri similar to lateral antennae but slightly shorter, ventral tentacular cirri similar to dorsal ones but shorter and truncate. Parapodial glands on some parapodia, irregularly distributed, with dark, granular material; some specimens with many conspicuous parapodial glands and others with only few. Dorsal cirri similar to dorsal tentacular cirri, but provided with a constriction, giving a biarticulate appearance (Fig. 58A), longer than parapodial lobes, those of posterior parapodia longer than those of anterior parapodia (Figs. 58A, 58B). Ventral cirri digitiform, shorter than parapodial lobes. Compound chaetae similar throughout, slightly shorter on anterior parapodia, with heterogomph articulation; blades unidentate, distally rounded, slightly hooked, marginal spine moderate in length; a subdistal spine near tips, longer than other spines, more distinct on longer blades (Figs. 58D,G,J). Parapodium each with 6–7 compound chaetae on anterior parapodia, 5 on posterior parapodia; strong dorsoventral gradation in length of blades; on each parapodium 1–2 compound chaetae with long blades, about 28 µm long in midbody, and remaining chaetae with shorter blades, diminishing progressively in length posteriorly, 12 µm above, 8 µm below. Dorsal simple chaetae from anterior parapodia, unidentate, provided with about 4–5 short serrations on margin, all similar (Figs. 58C,E,H); anterior dorsal simple chaetae more slender than posterior ones (Fig. 58C,H). Ventral simple chaetae on posterior parapodia, sigmoid, smooth and unidentate (Fig. 58I). Solitary acicula with tips enlarged and rounded, slightly hollow (Fig. 58F). Pharynx longer than proventricle, through 3 segments; pharyngeal tooth conical, located on anterior margin (Fig. 58A). Proventricle short, through 1–2 segments, with about 15–

17 muscle cell rows. Pygidium small, bilobed, with 2 long anal cirri, longer than median antenna (Fig. 58B).

Remarks. Brania glandulosa Hartmann-Schröder, 1980b , from West Indies, has similar compound and simple chaetae, but the antennae are more elongate, the parapodial glands are much more developed, and the proventricle is slightly longer (Hartmann-Schröder, 1980b).

Distribution. Australia (Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland).

Habitat. Fine sand and algae. In dead corals. Eulittoral and sublittoral, known up to 30 m depth.