Scoloplos cylindrifer Ehlers 1904

Scoloplos cylindrifer Ehlers, 1904

Figure 1

Scoloplos cylindrifer Ehlers, 1904: 45–46, pl.VI, figs 16–19.

Haploscoloplos cylindrifer: Monro 1939: 124–125, fig. 13.

Scoloplos (Leodamas) dendrobranchus: Hartman 1957: 291–293, figs 1–3.

Scoloplos (Scoloplos) cylindrifer: Day 1975: 197–198; Hartmann-Schröder 1981: 47–48, figs 101–105.

Leodamas cylindrifer: Blake 2017: 49, 51–52, 55, 58, 78.

Material examined. New South Wales: Coffs Harbour, Coffs Harbour jetty, 30°18’24”S, 153°08’30”E, 09.03.1992, depth 8.5 m, coll. S.J. Keable, Diopatra tubes at base of jetty pilings, AM W.25967, 2 specimens; Newcastle, West Basin Berth 2, 32°55’S, 151°46’ E, 25.08.1997, intertidal, scraping, coll. CSIRO—CRIMP, AM W.29871, 1 specimen (previously identified as S. novaehollandiae); Neutral Bay, Port Jackson, 33°50’42”S, 151°13’06”E, September 1908, AM W.43432, 1 specimen (previously identified as S. novaehollandiae); Murrumbulga Point, Twofold Bay, 37°04’42”S, 149°53’06”E, intertidal, gravel & algal washings, 09.10.1984, coll. P.A. Hutchings, S.J. Keable, J. van der Velde, AM W.201399, 1 specimen. Commonwealth Territory: Jervis Bay, Murrays Beach, 35°07’30”S, 150°45’30”E, 1972, coll. NSW State Fisheries, AM W.17586, 1 specimen (previously identified as S. novaehollandiae); Jervis Bay, Murrays Beach, 35°07’30”S, 150°45’30”E, 17.10.1972, coll. NSW State Fisheries, Posidonia, sand, AM W.17587, 1 specimen (previously identified as S. novaehollandiae). South Australia: South of Streaky Bay, Seagull Lake, 32°57’43”S, 134°12’16”E, 12.03.2012, intertidal, coll. B. V. Timms, beach, AM W.40555, 7 specimens.

Type locality. South Island, New Zealand.

Description. Large worms, with thoracic width up to 3.8 mm, length more than 50 mm, more than 200 segments (Fig. 1A). Body cylindrical, thorax often swollen in anterior part, segments short (Fig. 1A, C). Prostomium sharply conical (Fig. 1B, C, E). Thoracic chaetigers numbering 16–18 (12 in one smaller specimen). Branchiae from chaetiger 16–20 (last thoracic or first or second abdominal segment) as small triangle papillae, gradually increasing in size and becoming narrow triangular, shorter than notopodial lobes; in middle and posterior abdomen branchiae dichotomously branched with 3–4 branches (Fig. 1B, C, F, J). In smaller worms branched branchia present only close to pygidium, with two short branches. Thoracic postchaetal lobes developed from first chaetiger, both triangular, notopodial longer than neuropodial (Fig. 1 B–E, G). No subpodal or stomach papillae. Abdominal notopodial postchaetal lobes foliaceous; neuropodial lobes uniramous, triangular (Fig. 1F, J). Pygidium with fimbriated margin and two short anal cirri (Fig. 1I). Chaetae crenulated capillaries in all parapodia; straight weakly serrated uncini also present in thoracic neuropodia, forming anterior row curving under numerous capillary chaetae and continuing dorsally as short posterior row (Fig. 1C, E, G). One projecting acicular chaeta in abdominal neuropodia; forked chaetae not seen (Fig. 1J).

Distribution. Australia, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, New Zealand.

Habitat. Intertidal and upper subtidal, seagrass, algae, polychaete tubes, mixed sediments.

Remarks. For the detailed history of the species see Blake (2017, pp. 51–52). In addition, Blake (2017) moved Scoloplos cylindrifer to the genus Leodamas, group B. The specimens examined in the present study are in agreement with the descriptions by Hartman (1957), Day (1975), and Hartmann-Schröder (1981).