Salvatoria McIntosh, 1885

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 : 49-50

Genus Salvatoria McIntosh, 1885

Salvatoria McIntosh, 1885: 188 .

Grubea Quatrefages, 1866: 19 .

Grubeosyllis Verrill, 1900: 633 .

Protogrubea Czerniavsky, 1881: 414 .

Pseudobrania San Martín, 1984: 150.

Brania .–in part Fauvel 1923: 296; in part Kudenov & Harris, 1995: 9. Not Quatrefages 1866.

Type species. Salvatoria kerguelensis McIntosh, 1885 by original designation.

Diagnosis. Body small with few segments, around 30, surface smooth, usually without colour markings, but some species with red transverse bands on some segments. Prostomium with 3 antennae, 4 eyes and, usually, 2 eyespots. Palps well developed, joined along their length by dorsal membrane, more or less distinct, sometimes with distal, usually short notch. Two pairs of tentacular cirri. Antennae, tentacular cirri and dorsal cirri usually spindle-shaped, proportionally long and slender in comparison with those present in other genera of the subfamily, usually slightly bulbous at their base and ending with an elongate, acute tip; dorsal cirri present on all segments or absent on chaetiger 2. Parapodia conical, typically ending in 3 rounded, small papillae. Ventral cirri digitiform, shorter than parapodial lobes. Parapodial glands absent. Compound chaetae heterogomph, with blades bidentate, sometimes subdistal tooth small, appearing as unidentate; some parapodia with dorsal and ventral simple capillary chaetae. Acicula usually solitary, acuminate, with long and filiform tip; in some species without tip, appearing distally rounded. Pharynx wide, usually without papillae around the opening, although some larger species have crown of small papillae; usually band of cilia at opening of pharynx; pharyngeal tooth typically rhomboidal to ovate, located anywhere from near anterior margin to about the middle of pharynx. Proventricle proportionally long and wide, massive, sometimes longer than pharynx but usually of the same length, with numerous, slender muscular rows. Pygidium with two anal cirri, similar to dorsal cirri. Reproduction by epigamy, females brooding eggs by means of capillary notochaetae; mature males provided with long natatory notochaetae.

Remarks. The systematic position of this genus has been controversial. McIntosh (1885) included his new genus Salvatoria in the family Hesionidae ; his diagnosis was confused and incomplete; later, Monro (1939) re-examined the holotype and concluded that it belonged to the family Syllidae , considering it as a synonym of Syllides ; this conclusion was followed by Hartman (1964). Previously, Ehlers (1897) described Sphaerosyllis macintoshi and considered Salvatoria kerguelensis as a synonym of that species; this opinion was accepted by Benham (1921). I have reexamined the holotype of Salvatoria kerguelensis and here come to a different conclusion.

First, the supposed articulations described by McIntosh on the antennae and anterior dorsal cirri are an artifact produced by small crystals of formalin; the pharyngeal tooth, although difficult to see, is present, but it is difficult to give its precise position; finally, the chaetae and aciculae are similar to those of other species described in the genus Grubeosyllis Verrill, 1900 , but not those of Brania . Furthermore, McIntosh’s original drawing of the holotype (pl. XXX, fig. 4) shows the prostomium in ventral view and the body in dorsal view in a single drawing clearly encouraging misinterpretations of the description.

The original name for this group was Grubea ; the taxon Grubeosyllis was erected by Verrill (1900) specifically as a replacement name for Grubea , a name preoccupied by a genus of trematodes (Platyhelminthes). Ignoring Verrill, Fauvel (1923) considered Brania as a junior synonym of Grubea . Hartman (1959) regarded Brania , Grubeosyllis , and Grubea as synonyms retaining the name Brania for the group. Later, San Martín (1984a) erected the genus Pseudobrania for this group of species, and designated Pseudobrania clavata as the type species. San Martín (1991a) on a further revision, resurrected Grubeosyllis and considered Pseudobrania San Martín, 1984 as a junior synonym. After examining the holotype of Salvatoria kerguelensis , it is apparent that this also belongs to the group, and Salvatoria McIntosh, 1885 is proposed as the valid name of this genus, having priority over Grubeosyllis Verrill, 1900 (and also over Pseudobrania San Martín, 1984). Another possible available name for the genus is Protogrubea Czerniavsky, 1881 ; the generic characters, however, are poorly known and the type material appears lost.

Recently, Kudenov & Harris (1995) did not accept Brania and Grubeosyllis as different genera; all the species they describe in Brania belong to the re-erected genus Salvatoria . It appears that they misinterpreted some characters in their discussion. The reasons argued by San Martín (1984a, 1991a) for the separation of Brania and Salvatoria , are verified because Salvatoria broods dorsally by means of capillary notochaetae while Brania broods ventrally and develops juveniles attached to the female, which lacks notochaetae.

Key to species of Salvatoria recorded from Australia

1 Dorsal cirri present on chaetiger 2 ................................................................................................. 2

—— Dorsal cirri absent on chaetiger 2 .................................................................................................. 6

2 Blades of compound chaetae unidentate or provided with small, indistinct subdistal tooth .......................................................................................... S. kerguelensis

—— Blades of compound chaetae distinctly bidentate ......................................................................... 3

3 Blades of compound chaetae slender, elongate. Pharyngeal tooth located near the middle of pharynx .......................................................................... S. longisetosa

—— Blades of compound chaetae not elongate; some broad and relatively short. Pharyngeal tooth located near anterior rim ......................................................... 4

4 Palps separated on distal 1 ⁄ 3. Compound chaetae with blades strongly bidentate; space between both teeth wide, distinctly rounded ......................................................................................................................... S. euritmica

—— Palps fused except for distal notch. Teeth of blades not so distinctly separated, forming an angle ........................................................................................................... 5

5 Without eyespots. Body proportionally large and broad. Pharyngeal tooth located near anterior rim. Pharynx with papillae. Blades of compound chaetae with short marginal spines .................................... S. quadrioculata

—— With 2 eyespots. Body small and slender. Pharyngeal tooth located distinctly posteriorly to anterior rim. Longer blades with moderately long spines on distal margin .................................................... S. koorineclavata n.sp.

6 Pharyngeal tooth located near middle of pharynx. Blades of compound chaetae distinctly bidentate ............................................................... S. opisthodentata

—— Pharyngeal tooth located near anterior rim. Blades slender, with subdistal tooth small ............................................................................................... S. pilkena n.sp.