Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri subsp. muelleri Diesing 1851

Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri muelleri Diesing, 1851

Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri muelleri: Pancucci­Papadopoulou et al. 1999: 92 –93, fig. 35.

Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri: Saiz Salinas 1984: 177 –178, fig. 2; Saiz Salinas 1986: 9 –11, fig. 1; Saiz Salinas 1993b: 135 –140, figs 72–74, 92c–d; Cutler 1994: 218 –220, figs 55e, 57a, 58a, 60b–d.

Aspidosiphon muelleri: Wesenberg­Lund 1957: 197 –198; Stephen 1958: 133 –134; Stephen & E dmonds 1972: 231–233, figs 26a–d; Murina & Zavodnik 1985 /1986: 29–31, fig. 3.

Material examined: ESFM – SIP /97–6, T4, trawl, start: 35°22.9' N – 33°41.0' E, finish: 35°22.4' N – 33°39.3' E, 12 May 1997, 38– 45 m, on sandy mud with Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål) Ascherson and Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål) J. Agardh, 1 specimen; E SFM– SIP /97–9, T8, trawl, start: 35°40.9' N – 34°35.4' E, finish: 35°40.6' N – 34°35.9' E, 16 May 1997, 27– 45 m, on sand and Posidonia oceanica, 4 specimens [one individual within a shell of Rissoa violacea Desmarest 1814, one individual within a tube of Vermiliopsis infundibulum (Gmelin 1788)]; ESFM – SIP /97–8, D1, dredge, 35°22.5' N – 33°05.2' E, 10 May 1997, 50 m, on hard substratum, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /97–5, D3, dredge, 35°20.7' N – 33°28.3' E, 12 May 1997, 35 m, on P. oceanica, 2 specimens; E SFM– SIP /97–7, D4, dredge, 35°37.8' N – 34°21.1' E, 15 May 1997, 35 m, on P. oceanica, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–19, D15, dredge, 35°33.8' N – 34°13.0' E, 16 July 1998, 32 m, P. oceanica, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–16, D17, dredge, 35°08.7' N – 34°00.1' E, 18 July 1998, 120 m, mud, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–14, K1, Guzelyurt Bay, 14 July 1998, 5 m, on P. oceanica, 8 specimens; ESFM – SIP /98–18, K3, Karpas Cape, 18 July 1998, 10 m, on P. o c e a n i c a, 2 specimens; ESFM – SIP /98–17, K4, Gazi Magosa Bay, 18 July 1998, 4 m, on P. oceanica, 2 specimens; ESFM – SIP /98–15, K5, Carpas Cape, 19 July 1998, 7 m, on P. oceanica, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–10, K5, Carpas Cape, 19 July 1998, 0–2 m, on rocks, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–11, K8, Limanbasi Cape, 20 July 1998, 3 m, on Cystoseira crinita, 8 specimens; ESFM – SIP /98–8, K8, Limanbasi Cape, 20 July 1998, 0–5 m, on rocks, 7 specimens; ESFM – SIP /98–13, K9, Girne, 21 July 1998, 2 m, on rocks, 1 specimen; ESFM – SIP /98–12, K10, Malazgirt, 21 July 1998, 2 m, on rocks, 4 specimens; E SFM– SIP /98–9, K11, Kormakiti Cape, 21 July 1998, 0–15 m, P. oceanica, 5 specimens.

Remarks: Body wall thin, semi­transparent. Trunk 1.4–13.6 mm long, 0.6–3.1 mm wide. Introvert 0.7–11.9 mm long, 0.3–1.3 mm wide. Trunk 1.1–2 times introvert length. Longitudinal musculature continuous. Anterior and posterior shields brown­black in colour. Anterior shield semi­elliptical with longitudinally arranged grooves. Caudal shield disc­like with radiating grooves. Longitudinal muscle layer continuous. Nephridiopores located at level of anus. Spine­like papillae scattered on introvert, tending to decrease towards anterior part of introvert; 13–30 µm long. Hooks arranged in rings. Introvert with 30–100 rings. One specimen bearing a pair of black eye spots and 120 rings of hooks on introvert. Bidentate hooks mainly on distal part of introvert; 10–38 µm tall, 15–45 µm thick at base. Unidentate hooks located mostly on posterior part of introvert; 13–35 µm long, 11–40 µm wide. Longitudinal grooves on anal shield numbering 10–22. Radiale grooves on caudal shield numbering 15–19. Some specimens with eggs in coelomic cavity; elliptical; longer axis 63–120 µm in diameter, smaller axis 60–95 µm in diameter.

Distribution: Common in the northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean (Cutler & Cutler 1989). Depth range: 0–1470 m (Saiz Salinas 1986; Saiz Salinas & Villafranca Urchegui 1988).