Lamispina kerguelarum Salazar-Vallejo 2014, n. comb.

Lamispina kerguelarum (Grube, 1877) n. comb.

Figure 23

Trophonia kerguelarum Grube, 1877:539–540.— McIntosh, 1885:364–366, Pl. 44, Figs 9, 10, Pl. 23A, Figs 4–6.— Ehlers, 1897:107–108.

Stylarioides kerguelarum.— Augener, 1914:42–45.— Monro, 1930:139, 1936:163, 1939:130.— Rioja, 1944:131–134, Figs 51–53.— Fauvel, 1952:298.

Stylarioides swakopianus.— Hartman, 1953:51 (non Augener, 1918).

Pherusa kerguelarum.— Hartman, 1966:43, Pl. 13, Figs 1–2 (syn.).— Rozbaczylo, 1985:160.— Knox & Cameron, 1998:72–73.

Type material. Southern Indian Ocean. Two syntypes (ZMB 680), Successful Bay, Kerguelen Islands, RV Gazelle, Buchholz, coll.

Additional material. Southern Indian Ocean, Kerguelen Islands. Two specimens (MNHN A183), Île du Chat, 30 m, 7 Nov. 1939, M. Jeauvel, coll. (body with very little fine sediment, not covering papillae or body surfaces; two rows of longitudinal larger papillae; 6–32 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, cephalic cage 2–8 mm long, 16–47 chaetigers; 8–14 notochaetae per fascicle; both with neurospines from chaetiger 3; smaller specimen with anterior end everted; 8 branchial scars in a single line, interbranchial nodules present, nephridial lobes present on each side between branchiae 2–3 counting from the middorsal ones). One specimen (MNHN 354) breaking in two, Morbihan Bay, 25 Sep. 1951, P. Paulian, coll. (5 mm long, 1 mm wide, cephalic cage 2 mm long, 19 chaetigers; lamispines from chaetiger 3). Two specimens (MNHN 54), juveniles, Morbihan Bay, 12 Mar. 1951, P. Paulian, coll. (7–8 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, cephalic cage 3 mm long, 19–27 chaetigers; lamispines from chaetiger 3). One specimen (MNHN 354) juvenile, broken in two, Morbihan Bay, 21 Oct. 1951, P. Paulian, coll. (5 mm long, 1 mm wide, cephalic cage 2 mm long, 19 chaetigers; lamispines from chaetiger 3). Crozet Islands. One mature female (MNHN A921), RV Marion Dufresne, Cruise 30, Sta. 60 (45°56' S, 50°32' E), Y. Sicinski, id. (17 mm long, 2 mm wide, cephalic cage 3 mm long, 33 chaetigers; 14 notochaetae in medial chaetigers). South Georgia Islands. One specimen (SMNH 55763), Pot Bay, Grytviken mouth, Swedish South Polar Expedition 1901–03, Sta. 28 (54°22' S, 36°28' W), sand and algae, 12–15 m, 24 May 1902 (9 mm long, 1.7 mm wide, cephalic cage 3 mm long, 24 chaetigers; 7 notochaetae in medial chaetigers).

Description. Syntypes (ZMB 680) two anterior fragments, in poor shape, both greyish (Fig. 23A, B, D). Body cylindrical, tapered posteriorly; 10–16 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, cephalic cage 5–6 mm long, 19–32 chaetigers. Tunic thin, free from sediment coverage. Body papillae digitate, dorsal ones conical, with fine sediment particles adhering basally, looking fusiform, arranged in four transverse alternating series, mostly eroded over the anterior dorsal surface; better preserved posteriorly or ventrally.

Anterior end not exposed, previously dissected (Fig. 23C). Prostomium damaged, low cone; eyes not seen. Caruncle short, rounded. Palps thick, corrugated; palp keels low, rounded. Lips damaged.

Branchiae cirriform, thick, detached (8 branchial scars, 6 filaments seen), arranged in two rows, posterior row continuous dorsally, anterior row with two groups of branchiae, each with two filaments. Branchiae as long as palps. Nephridial lobes on branchial plate not seen.

Cephalic cage chaetae twice as long as body width, arranged in short series. Chaetigers 1–2 forming cephalic cage, chaetigers 3–4 with long notochaetae, more or less directed anteriorly; chaetiger 1 with notochaetae dorsal, neurochaetae lateral, chaetiger 2 with chaetae lateral. Chaetiger 1 with 12 noto- and 6 neurochaetae; chaetiger 2 with 6 noto- and 6 neurochaetae.

Anterior dorsal margin of first chaetiger papillated. Chaetigers 1–3 increasing in length posteriorly. Chaetal transition from cephalic cage to body chaetae abrupt; lamispines start in chaetiger 3. Gonopodial lobes not seen.

Parapodia poorly developed; chaetae emerge from body wall. Parapodia lateral; medial neuropodia ventrolateral. Notopodia 1–3 better developed, distally expanded chaetal lobes, with longer papillae. Neuropodia as low rounded lobes, with longer papillae. Noto- and neuropodia close to each other.

Medial notochaetae arranged in a -shaped pattern, inner end rolling over itself. Most notochaetae multiarticulated capillaries, articles short basally, long medially and distally; external notochaetae with only long articles (Fig. 23E, inset); 9–12 notochaetae per ramus, at least as long as body width. Neurochaetae multiarticulated capillaries in chaetigers 1–2. Lamispines from chaetiger 3, arranged in transverse series, 5–7 per bundle. Each lamispine with articles short basally and medially, distally flat, hyaline, tapered into thin tips (Fig. 23F, insets).

Posterior end (observed in a non-type specimen, MNHN A183) tapered to a rounded lobe; pygidium with anus terminal, without anal cirri; mature female (MNHN A921) with oocytes of about 200 µm.

Variation. Morphological variations were as follows.

Syntypes are short and have most lamispines broken; the remaining ones show a narrow distal portion, not as wide as seen in larger specimens.

Remarks. Lamispina kerguelarum (Grube, 1877) n. comb. can be grouped with L. chilensis n. sp. by having stiff body papillae, tapered or conical, and tapered lamispines with acuminate tips. They differ by the start of lamispines, number of notochaetae in medial segments, and the number of transverse series of papillae per segment. In L. kerguelarum lamispines start in chaetiger 3, there are 9–12 notochaetae per bundle, and 4 transverse series of papillae per segment, whereas in L. chilensis lamispines start in chaetiger 4, there are less notochaetae per bundle (5), and less transverse series of papillae (2) per segment.

Distribution. Originally described from the Kerguelen Islands, it has been recorded in New Zealand and several Antarctic and Subantarctic localities in shallow water (12–30 m depth).