Harmothoe bellani Barnich & Fiege 2000

Harmothoe bellani Barnich & Fiege, 2000

(Figs. 4, 11A–I)

Harmothoe bellani Barnich & Fiege, 2000: 1920, fig. 16A–D; Barnich & Fiege (2003): 38, fig. 15A–D.

Harmothoe reticulata: Fauvel (1913): 270 [part].

Type material. Harmothoe bellani: holotype, SMF 9087, W Mediterranean, Banyuls-sur-mer, near Laboratoire Arago, in Posidonia, 10 m, 10 September 1997, leg. D. Fiege & R. Barnich.

Paratype: SMF 9088, W Mediterranean, Banyuls-sur-mer, harbour, 2–5 m, 21 June 1994, leg. H. Zibrowius.

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

Diagnosis. Anterior pair of eyes dorsolateral at widest part of prostomium. Elytral margin with long fringing papillae; surface covered by thorn-shaped pointed microtubercles and few scattered papillae.

Description (based on holotype).

Body with 36 segments. At anterior end (Fig. 11A), 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 one or 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 four segments cirrigerous; elytral margin with long fringing papillae; surface covered by thornshaped pointed microtubercles and few scattered papillae (Fig. 11B,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. 11D). Notochaetae stouter than neurochaetae, with distinct rows of spines and blunt tip (Fig. 11E,F); neurochaetae with distinct rows of spines, middle bidentate with small secondary tooth, upper and lower unidentate (Fig. 11G–I).

Measurements. H. bellani: holotype, SMF 9087, L 14 mm, W 3 mm for 36 segments; paratype, SMF 9088, L 3.5 mm, W 1.5 mm for 18 segments (af).

Remarks. Specimens identified by Amoureux et al. (1978) as Harmothoe goreensis in the Red Sea were synonymised with H. bellani by Barnich & Fiege (2000 and 2003). Wehe (2006) showed that they belong in fact to H. grisea (Ehrenberg & Grube in Grube, 1869).

Distribution. Western Mediterranean Sea. Due to confusion with other Harmothoe species, not recorded from the Northeast Atlantic up to now, but presence highly probable.

Habitat. Between algae and Posidonia rhizomes, in 2–10 m depth.