J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. (2007), 87, 1117–1120 Printed in the United Kingdom
doi: 10.1017/S0025315407056457
A new species of Synelmis (Annelida: Polychaeta: Pilargidae) from the continental slope off Galicia (north-western Iberian peninsula) Juan Moreira*†∫ and Julio Parapar‡ *Estación de Bioloxía Mariña da Graña, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, rúa da Ribeira 1, A Graña, E-15590 Ferrol, Spain. †Departamento de Bioloxía Animal & Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. ‡Departamento de Bioloxía Animal, Bioloxía Vexetal e Ecoloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, Alejandro da Sota 1, E-15008 A Coruña, Spain. ∫Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected]
A new species of Synelmis (Annelida: Polychaeta: Pilargidae), Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov., is described from the continental slope off north-western Spain. The new species is characterized by having antennae, peristomial cirri and parapodial cirri cirriform, lateral antennae located in the proximal third of the prostomium, notospines starting on chaetigers 7–11, well-developed neuropodial lobe and asymmetrical furcate chaetae, those of anterior chaetigers distinctly spinulated.
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The genus Synelmis was established by Chamberlin (1919) for the species S. simplex and placed in the family Syllidae Grube, 1850. It was considered as a synonym of Ancystrosyllis McIntosh, 1879 by Hartman (1959) and later resurrected by Pettibone (1966) and placed into Pilargidae Saint-Joseph, 1899. Based on brain morphology, Fitzhugh & Wolf (1990) recognized three groups in the genus but only one (‘complex A’) was found to be monophyletic by those authors and Licher & Westheide (1994). Salazar-Vallejo & Solís-Weiss (1992) recognized two groups of species based on the presence of eyes and questioned the status of Synelmis albini (Langerhans, 1881) as a cosmopolitan species. Recently, Salazar-Vallejo (2003) revised the genus and established the number of known species to fifteen. Simultaneously, Glasby (2003) described a new species from New Zealand which had previously been confused with S. albini. In addition, Glasby (2003) designed a neotype for S. albini from material collected by Brito et al. (1996) in the Canary Islands. Two species are currently reported from the eastern Atlantic Ocean: S. albini, previously recorded from worldwide seas but now thought to be restricted to this area (Glasby, 2003; Salazar-Vallejo, 2003), and S. kirkegaardi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from the Cape Verde Islands. During the Fauna II expeditions along the Atlantic coast of Spain, in the frame of the Fauna Ibérica project, one specimen of Synelmis was collected and initially identified as S. albini (Moreira & Parapar, 2003; Parapar et al., 2004). Additional samples collected during the DIVA-Artabria I cruise on the continental shelf and slope off the Ártabro Gulf (Galicia, Spain) yielded more specimens similar to that from Fauna II. Comparison of these specimens with the neotype of S. albini designated by Glasby (2003) revealed a number of differences in the shape of parapodial cirri and furcate chaetae. These differences warrant the erection of a new species for the Iberian specimens which are herein described as Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov.
This study is based on 30 specimens collected during the Fauna Ibérica (Fauna II cruise) and the DIVA-Artabria I (2002 cruise) projects. All material was collected by means of naturalist dredge and Agassiz trawl in the continental slope off the north-western coast of Spain. Specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and preserved in 70% ethanol. Observations, drawings and measurements were made using an Olympus BX40 compound microscope connected to a drawing tube. Type material of Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov. was deposited at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), Madrid, Spain and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum (SFNM), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Specimens used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were dehydrated via a graded ethanol series, prepared by critical-point drying using CO2, coated with gold in a BAL-TEC SCD 004 evaporator, and examined and photographed under a JEOL JSM-6400 scanning electron microscope at the Servicios de Apoio á Investigación, Universidade da Coruña (SAIN), Spain. The neotype of Synelmis albini was also examined for comparison and is deposited in the Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Tenerife (TFMCBMAN), Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2007)
SYSTEMATICS Order PHYLLODOCIDA Dales, 1962 Family PILARGIDAE Saint-Joseph, 1899 Genus Synelmis Chamberlin, 1919 Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov. (Figures 1–3) Synelmis albini: Moreira & Parapar, 2003; Parapar et al., 2004 (non Langerhans, 1881). Type material Holotype: complete specimen, 22.0 mm in length, 0.7 mm in width, with 60 chaetigers and one posterior achaetiger
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Figure 1. Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov.: (A) paratype, anterior end, ventral view; (B) holotype, anterior end, dorsal view; (C) paratype, anterior end, lateral view.
Figure 2. Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov.: (A) holotype, posterior end, dorsal view; (B) paratype, parapod from chaetiger 2, anterior view; (C) paratype, parapod from chaetiger 11, anterior view; (D) bidentate neurochaeta from chaetiger 2; (E–I) furcate neurochaetae from chaetigers 5, 7, 16, 25 and 27; (J–K) limbate neurochaetae from anterior chaetigers. B–C, same scale bar; D–K, same scale bar. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2007)
A new species of Synelmis
Figure 3. Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov., scanning electron microscope micrographs: (A) anterior region, dorsal view; (B) anterior region, lateral view of chaetigers 1 to 3; (C) tentacular cirri and chaetigers 1 and 2; (D) chaetiger 9, anterior view; (E) chaetiger 29, anterior view; (F–H) ventral neurochaetae of chaetigers 2, 8 and 20. Scale bars: A, C, E, 0.1 mm; B, 0.3 mm; D, 40 μm; F, H, 10 μm; G, 5 μm.
(DIVA-Artabria I, Station AT-1000; 9 September 2002; coordinates: 43°57.03'N 08°54.79'W to 43°57.25N 08°54.13'W; water depth: 1.132–1.191 m; stones and shells). [MNCN 16.01/11009]. Paratypes: 17 specimens (DIVA-Artabria I, Station AT1000). [MNCN 16.01/11010]. 4 specimens (DIVA-Artabria I, Station DRN-800; 11 September 2002; coordinates: 43°51.26'N 08°54.48'W to 43°51.49'N 08°54.10'W; water depth: 823 m; stones). [MNCN 16.01/11011]. One specimen (Fauna II, Station 173A; 28 June 1991; coordinates: 42°42.37'N 11°47.77'W; water depth: 760–769 m; on Madrepora aculeata). [MNCN 16.01/10299]. 2 specimens (DIVA-Artabria I, Station DRN-1000; 9 September 2002; coordinates: 43°52.82'N 08°56.15'W to 43°52.84'N 08°55.59'W; water depth: 960 m; stones). [SFNM 16605]. 5 specimens (DIVA-Artabria I, Station AT-1000). [SFNM 16604]. Comparative material examined Synelmis albini (Langerhans, 1881). Neotype [TFMCBMAN/00214]. Canary Islands. Intertidal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2007)
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Description Fixed specimens translucent, iridescent or whitish. Complete specimens ranging from 4.7 mm in length with 25 chaetigers to 22.0 mm in length with 60 chaetigers. Prostomium rectangular (Figures 1B & 3A); biarticulated palps separated from each other, palpostyles rounded and massive, with small ventrolateral papillae (Figure 1A). Three similar antennae, papilliform and short; lateral antennae located on proximal third of the prostomium, median antenna on posterior margin, not reaching chaetiger 1. Two pairs of tentacular cirri, cirriform, longer than antennae and shorter than dorsal cirri (Figures 1C, 3B & C). Eyes not visible. Non-everted pharynx as long as 6 to 10 chaetigers. Parapodia with cirriform to conical cirri (Figures 2B,C & 3C); dorsal cirri subequal to ventral cirri; chaetal lobe about half of cirri length. One notospine per parapodium starting usually in chaetigers 8–10 (in chaetiger 7 in two specimens and in chaetiger 11 in one specimen; Figures 2C, 3D & E); notospines straight or with distal tip slightly curved, protruding out from body wall; a second shorter notospine may be present. Neurochaetae of two kinds: 4–9 limbate chaetae with spinulose margin (Figure 2J&K) and 1–2 furcate chaetae (Figures 2E–I & 3F–H). Two limbate chaetae with bidentate tips instead of furcate chaetae (Figure 2D) on most anterior parapodia. Furcate chaetae from chaetigers 5–10; with asymmetrical tines, one longer and thicker than the other; distal half of furcate chaetae from anterior chaetigers with spines pointing upwards and ending near shorter tine, spines disappearing or becoming less distinct in chaetae from midbody chaetigers backwards. Pygidium with dorsal anus and two thin anal cirri, similar to dorsal cirri but somewhat longer (Figure 2A). Etymology This species is named in honour of Dr Victoriano Urgorri (‘Vituco’), professor of marine zoology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), eminent malacologist, leader of the DIVA-Artabria project and friend. Distribution Only known from off the north-western Spanish coast at depths of between 760 and 1.191 m. Remarks Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov. differs from S. gracilis (Hessle, 1924) from Japan, S. knoxi Glasby, 2003 from New Zealand, S. amoureuxi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from the western Atlantic, S. gibbisi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from the Red Sea and IndoPacific and S. kirkegaardi in having lateral antennae located in the proximal third of the prostomium rather than anteriorly; from S. rigida (Fauvel, 1919) from the Indo-Pacific and S. sotoi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from the Caribbean Sea in having notospines starting from anterior chaetigers (7–11) rather than from chaetigers 15–23. In addition, S. rigida is a larger species and its furcate chaetae may have a blade between tines (cf. Salazar-Vallejo, 2003, figure 1G); finally S. sotoi has parapodial cirri with pigmented glands. Other species with notospines starting from anterior chaetigers are Synelmis albini, S. gorgonensis (Monro, 1933) from the eastern Pacific, S. sinica Sun & Chen, 1990
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from China, S. levinae Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from Pacific submarine mountains, S. britayevi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from Mozambique, S. harrisae Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from California, S. emiliae Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from the eastern Pacific and S. glasbyi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 from Mozambique. The new species described herein differs from S. sinica, S. emiliae and S. glasbyi in having chaetal lobes well developed; from S. levinae in having notospines starting from chaetigers 7–11 rather than from chaetiger 5 and in having shorter antennae, ventrolateral papillae of palps and tentacular cirri; from S. gorgonensis in the shape of parapodial cirri, swollen with a distal tip in S. gorgonensis; from S. britayevi in lacking lateral glands behind chaetal lobes and in having thinner antennae. The recently described S. harrisae is similar in appearance to S. urgorrii sp. nov. but the notospines appear in chaetigers 10–16 in the former rather than in 7–11 in S. urgorrii, dorsal cirri are swollen in at least the proximal two-thirds and it has been reported from shallower waters (0–70 m). The closest species to Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov. according to their geographical distribution is S. albini, described from intertidal habitats in the Canary Islands. Examination of the neotype of S. albini designated by Glasby (2003)— type material housed in the Science Museum of Freiburg (Germany) was lost after bombing in 1944 (Brito et al., 1996)—showed differences in shape of parapodial cirri among the two species, which in S. albini are strongly fusiform and swollen and have acuminate tips. Furthermore, furcate chaetae have two tines of similar thickness in S. albini, with the shorter one clearly defined and separated from the main tine. In S. urgorrii sp. nov., the longer tine is much thicker. Synelmis urgorrii sp. nov. is unique among the other known species of Synelmis in having furcate chaetae with spinulation, at least in anterior chaetigers. This suggests that these chaetae might be a kind of limbate chaetae and not truly furcate chaetae. In fact, in S. urgorrii sp. nov. there are variations in length and shape of limbate neurochaetae in the same parapodium and among anterior and posterior parapodia. Variations in length of limbate neurochaetae have previously been reported in Synelmis from Japan (cf. Imajima, 1987, figure 4d,i–h). Nevertheless, careful examination of parapodia of S. urgorrii sp. nov. did not, however, reveal the presence of ‘true’, smooth furcate chaetae. We therefore retain here the term ‘furcate’ for those short bifid chaetae with spinulation. The presence of spinulation in furcate chaetae may, however, have easily been overlooked in other species. Furthermore, furcate chaetae may be of different types according to their shape (Salazar-Vallejo, 2003), and relative length, width and shape of tines may vary among species. Detailed examination of other Synelmis species with a scanning electron microscope will be needed to assess this. The authors are grateful to Fátima Hernández and Miguel Villena, curators of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Tenerife) and Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid), for providing the neotype of S. albini and specimens from the Fauna II cruise, respectively, Javier Sánchez (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid) and Dieter Fiege (Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main) for their help with deposit of type series, Belén López (SAIN, Universidade da Coruña) for technical assistance with SEM micrographs, Guillermo San Martín Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2007)
(Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid) for providing some literature references and Jorge Núñez (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife) for his helpful comments and advice. Three anonymous referees provided useful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by the research projects Fauna Ibérica IV (PB950235) from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, DIVA-Artabria I (PGIDT 01PXI20008PR) from the Xunta de Galicia and DIVA-Artabria II (CTM2004-00740/MAR) from the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura. We would also like to express our gratitude to all members of the crew of the RV ‘Mytilus’ and all the people involved in the DIVA-Artabria project, specially A. González, M. Pérez, E. Gil, M. Candás, E. Corral and M. Zamarro for sorting of the specimens.
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Submitted 13 November 2006. Accepted 2 August 2007.
