Prosphaerosyllis magnoculata (Hartmann-Schröder, 1986), Guillermo San Martin, 2005

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 : 69-70

Prosphaerosyllis magnoculata (Hartmann-Schröder, 1986) n.comb.

Figs. 24A–G, 25A–C

Sphaerosyllis magnoculata Hartmann-Schröder, 1986: 45 , figs. 29–31.

Not Sphaerosyllis magnoculata Hartmann-Schröder, 1989: 29 , fig. 37.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND. 1 specimen, AM W202655, Triangular Islets, Shoalwater Bay, 22°21'S 150°31'E, J.A. Lewis & J.R. Forsyth, 1981. NEW SOUTH WALES. 1 specimen, AM W22589, Cararma Inlet, Jervis Bay, 35°00'S 150°46.5'E, unvegetated, sandy to muddy sediment, intertidal, 0 m, L. Howitt, Dec 1988. 1 specimen, AM W22625, Cararma Inlet, Jervis Bay, 35°00'S 150°46.5'E, Zostera capricorni, L. Howitt, Mar 1989 . 1 specimen, AM W23141, Honeymoon Bay, Jervis Bay, 35°03.8'S 150°45.4'E, unvegetated sediment, 20 m, P.A. Hutchings & party, 21 Feb 1991. 1 specimen, AM W23484, Honeymoon Bay, Jervis Bay, 35°03.8'S 150°45.4'E, unvegetated sediment, 20 m, P.A. Hutchings & party, 20 Feb 1989. 1 specimen,AM W23564, Weeney Bay, Botany Bay, 34°01.3'S 151°09.7'E, mud, 1 m, A. Roach & A. Jones, 30 Mar 1995. 1 specimen, AM W26532, 100 m north west of Split Solitary Island, 30°14.0'S 153°10.8'E, mixed red algae, 15 m, S.J. Keable, 7 Mar 1992. 1 specimen, AM W26704, South Ledge, Cook Island, 28°11.65'S 153°34.63'E, sand and shell grit, 15 m, K.B. Attwood, 09 Jun 1993. VICTORIA. 3 specimens, MV F62801, Bass Strait, 1 km E off Woodside Beach, 38°33'S 146°57'E, sand, 15 m depth, 9 Mar 1989. 51 specimens, MV F62262, Same locality, 13.3 km of eastern edge of Lake Tyres, 37°51.74'S 148°14.77'E, sand & shell, 37 m depth, 25 Sept 1990. TASMANIA. 2 specimens, AM W27674, north end of beach, Parsons Cove, Freycinet National Park, 42°08.6'S 148°16.9'E, coarse gravel, intertidal, 0 m, N.W. Riser, 24 Jan 1986. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 1 specimen, AM W26702, off end of South Mole, Arthur Head, Fremantle, 32°03'S 115°44'E, orange tunicates, 6 m, J.K. Lowry, 25 Dec 1983.

Description. Body small, 2–3 mm long, 0.24 mm wide, 20–30 chaetigers, broad anteriorly, provided with scattered, small dorsal and ventral papillae (Figs. 24A, 25A–C ). Prostomium rectangular to oval, wider than long; 4 large eyes in trapezoidal arrangement and 2 anterior eyespots.

Antennae small, pyriform, all similar in shape and size (Fig. 24A), with bulbous bases and short tip; lateral antennae inserted in front of anterior eyes, near eyespots, median antenna inserted between posterior eyes. Palps large, short, totally fused all along their length, with some papillae (Figs. 24A, 25B ). Peristomium covering dorsally posterior margin of prostomium; tentacular cirri similar in shape to antennae, but smaller (Fig. 24A). Dorsal cirri on all segments, similar throughout, similar to antennae (Figs. 24A, 25A,C ). Parapodial lobes relatively short, conical, with some short papillae. Compound chaetae heterogomph, with smooth shafts, and unidentate, short blades, smooth or provided with short marginal spines on dorsal chaetae (Fig. 24B,E). Anterior parapodia each with 7–8 compound chaetae, diminishing to 3–4 on posterior parapodia. All blades similar in size, 8–9 µm on anterior parapodia, slightly shorter on posterior parapodia. Dorsal simple chaetae from anterior segments, usually from chaetiger 1, unidentate, with few, short subdistal spines (Fig. 24D), slender and smooth anteriorly (Fig. 24C).Ventral simple chaetae on posterior parapodia, sigmoid, smooth (Fig. 24F). Acicula solitary, straight with a subdistal small enlargement, protruding only slightly from parapodial lobes (Fig. 24G). Pharynx wide, through 4 segments; pharyngeal tooth oval, located near anterior 1 ⁄ 3 of pharynx (Fig. 23A). Proventricle similar in length and width to pharynx, through 3 segments, with 22 muscle cell rows.

Remarks. This species resembles P. sexpapillata , described above, but differs in having scattered dorsal papillae and all dorsal cirri similar, not elongate on posterior parapodia and in the shape of the aciculae.

Distribution. Australia (Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales).

Habitat. Intertidal to about 37 m depth, on all kind of substrates: algae, sand, mud, seagrasses, tunicates.

Figures

Fig. 25. SEM of Prosphaerosyllis magnoculata. (A) dorsal view of a mature male with long natatory notochaetae. (B) prostomium, peristomium and chaetiger 1, laterodorsal view (antennae missing). (C) midbody segments, laterodorsal view. SEM of Prosphaerosyllis multipapillata. (D) dorsal view. (E) anterior end, dorsal view. (F) ventral view, midbody.