Harmothoe aspera

Harmothoe aspera (Hansen, 1879)

(Figs. 2, 10A–K)

Polynoe aspera Hansen, 1879: 1, pl.1; Hansen (1882): 5, pl. 2 figs. 10–15.

Harmothoe aspera: Hartmann-Schröder (1996): 44 [part; not H. multisetosa (Moore, 1902)]; Barnich & Fiege (2000): 1915, fig. 13A–D; Barnich & Fiege (2003): 37, fig. 14A–D.

Type material. Polynoe aspera: 2 syntypes, ZMBN 2000, Norske Nordhavsexp. 1876, St. 48, 64°36'N 10°22'W, 547 m, sand and ooze.

Additional material. NE Atlantic: 1 spm. (af + mf), SMF 17280, "Johan Ruud" St. 294, 70°38.56’N 24°10.46’E, N Norway, Sammelsundet Ryggen, 12 April 2005, dive; 20 m, leg. & ded. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz. 1 spm.(af), Akvaplan-Niva Collection, Visund N 2005, St. 1-3, 6 June 2005, 61.42849° N, 2.56782° E, 381 m. 1 spm., SMF 17279; Gullfaks B 1999, St. 9-2, 16 June 1999, 61°12'03.18'' N, 02°11'30.43'' E, 141 m, ded. A. Sikorski.

(For further material see Barnich & Fiege 2000 and 2003).

Diagnosis. Anterior pair of eyes dorsolateral at widest part of prostomium. Elytral margin with fringing papillae; surface covered by conical elongate to thorn-shaped pointed microtubercles and few scattered papillae, with a row of large triangular or pyramid-shaped macrotubercles near posterior margin.

Description (based on smaller syntype).

Body with 38 segments. At anterior end (Fig. 10A), prostomium bilobed, with distinct cephalic peaks; ceratophore of median antenna in anterior notch, lateral antennae inserted ventrally, styles of antennae papillate, tapering to filiform tip; anterior pair of eyes situated dorsolaterally at widest part of prostomium, posterior pair dorsally near hind margin of prostomium; palps papillate, tapering.

Tentaculophores inserted laterally to prostomium, each with two notochaetae and a dorsal and ventral tentacular cirrus, styles of cirri papillate, tapering to filiform tip. Second segment with first pair of elytra, biramous parapodia, and long buccal cirri. Following segments with tapering, short ventral cirri.

Fifteen pairs of elytra, covering dorsum, on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, then on every second segment to 23, 26, 29, 32; last six segments cirrigerous; elytral margin with fringing papillae; surface covered by conical elongate to thorn-shaped pointed microtubercles and few scattered papillae, with a row of large triangular or pyramid-shaped macrotubercles near posterior margin (Fig. 10B,C). Cirrigerous segments with distinct dorsal tubercles; dorsal cirri with cylindrical cirrophore, style papillate, tapering to filiform tip.

Parapodia biramous; notopodia with elongate acicular lobe; neuropodia with elongate prechaetal acicular lobe with digitiform supra-acicular process; neuropodial postchaetal lobe shorter than prechaetal lobe, rounded; tips of noto- and neuroacicula penetrating epidermis (Fig. 10D). Notochaetae stouter than neurochaetae, with distinct rows of spines and blunt tip (Fig. 10E–G); neurochaetae with distinct rows of spines, middle bidentate with small secondary tooth (often abraded), upper and lower unidentate (Fig. 10H–K).

Measurements. P. aspera, 2 syntypes, ZMBN 2000: L 18 mm, W 6 mm for 39 segments; L 16.5 mm, W 6 mm for 38 segments (spm. figured).

Distribution. Arctic, North Pacific, North Atlantic, North Sea to Kattegat, and Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat. Occurs on a wide range of substrata in 200 to 1000 m.