Lamprophaea cuprea Grube 1867

Lamprophaea cuprea Grube, 1867, reinst.

Figs 16, 17

Lamprophaes cuprea Grube, 1867: 65; 1878: 106–107, Pl. 15, Fig. 10.

Leocrates cupreus var. iridis Grube, 1878: 106–107 (diag.).

Leocrates cupreus iridis: Hartman 1959: 187.

Leocrates chinensis: Pettibone 1970: 214 (partim, Fig. 15 only, non Kinberg, 1866).

Type material. Western Pacific. Samoa. Lectotype (ZMH V-1275), and paralectotype (ZMH V-1274), herein designated, no further field data, H. Godeffroy, coll. [paralectotype complete, dehydrated, pharynx partially exposed, dorsum colorless, midventer brownish; body 12 mm long, 2 mm wide, 16 chaetigers].

Additional material. Samoa. Five specimens (USNM 19194), Pago Pago, May 1920, A.L. Treadwell, coll.

Description. Lectotype (ZMH V-1275) complete, depressed, colorless, partially damaged (Fig. 16A). Body obconic, wider medially, blunt anteriorly, tapered posteriorly, 20 mm long, 4 mm wide, 16 chaetigers; left parapodium of chaetiger 9 previously removed, left parapodium of chaetiger 7 removed for observing parapodial features. Body pale, eyes barely darker than integument. Some tentacular, dorsal and ventral cirri on site; many missing.

Prostomium wider than long, slightly wider anteriorly, with angular corners. Lateral antennae with ceratophores distinct, antennae as long as prostomium, slightly longer than palps (Fig. 16B). Palpophores 2.0–2.5 times longer than palpostyles. Median antenna short, incurved, not reaching prostomial anterior margin, inserted between posterior eyes.

Eyes barely darker than surrounding integument, round, anterior eyes slightly larger than posterior ones, slightly more distant to each other than posterior eyes, in lateral view eyes clearly separated.

Nuchal organs lobes L-shaped, lateral projections blunt, extended up to lateral prostomial margins, projections expanded anteriorly, ridge whitish, partially concealed by tentacular belt; lateral ciliated bands narrow, visible dorsally. Tentacular cirri without tips, longer ones reaching chaetiger 6. Lateral cushions low, barely projected laterally, entire, longitudinal striae distinct.

Peristomium with middorsal tubercle slightly longer than wide, blunt, wider basally to medially, tapered anteriorly (Fig. 16C). Pharynx with anterior margin smooth, irregularly constricted; upper and lower jaws single, transparent, tapered, upper jaw larger and more anteriorly inserted than lower one. Lateral vesicles not seen.

Dorsal cirri shorter than body width. Chaetigers 1–4 without notochaetae; notochaetae present along chaetigers 5–16, about 50 per bundle, delicate, arranged in bundles, notochaetae subdistally denticulate, denticles coarse. Notacicular lobes tapered; neuracicular lobes blunt, truncate, 1.5 times wider than long (Fig. 16D). Neurochaetae about 20 per bundle, blades decreasing in size ventrally, bidentate, 3–8 times longer than wide, guards approaching subdistal tooth (Fig. 16E).

Posterior region tapered. Prepygidial segment with dorsal cirri 3–4 times wider than ventral ones; anus terminal, anal cirri missing.

Oocytes not seen.

Variation. Topotypes (USNM 19194) match the species description. Body 21–31 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, 16 chaetigers; nuchal organs lobes L-shaped, completely visible in three smaller specimens (up to 26 mm long), almost completely covered by tentacular belt in larger specimens (28–31 mm long), but anterior part of lateral lobes exposed. Largest, best preserved topotype (USNM 19194) slightly dehydrated along chaetigers 3–14 (Fig. 17A), slightly bent laterally. Body obconic, slightly wider medially, blunt anteriorly, tapered posteriorly, 31 mm long, 4 mm wide (without parapodia); an anteroventral dissection previously made, irregular, running along chaetigers 1–5; left parapodium of chaetiger 8 previously removed, right parapodium of chaetiger 8 dissected (kept in container). Body pale, eyes dark brown. Most tentacular, dorsal and ventral cirri on site. Prostomium slightly longer than wide, slightly wider anteriorly (Fig. 17B). Lateral antennae with ceratophores distinct, antennae slightly longer than prostomium, barely longer than palps. Palpophores 3 times longer than palpostyles. Median antenna short, not reaching anterior prostomial margin, inserted between posterior eyes. Eyes brownish, round, anterior eyes slightly larger than posterior ones, slightly more distant to each other than posterior eyes, in lateral view eyes clearly separated. Nuchal organs lobes L-shaped, lateral projections extended beyond lateral prostomial margins, projections expanded anteriorly, partially concelead by tentacular belt; lateral ciliated bands narrow, visible dorsally. Tentacular cirri almost complete, tips eroded, longer ones surpass chaetiger 6, not reaching chaetiger 7. Lateral cushions low, entire, longitudinal striae distinct. Pharynx not exposed, inner features observed through dissection. Anterior margin with 20 crenulations or round papillae; lateral vesicles not seen. Middorsal jaw exposed, brownish, falcate, inserted below pharynx margin, midventral jaw not seen, probably destroyed by dissection. Dorsal cirri longer than body width (including parapodia). Chaetigers 1–4 without notochaetae; notochaetae present along chaetigers 5–16, about 50 per bundle, delicate, arranged in bundles, notochaetae subdistally denticulate, denticles coarse. Notacicular lobes tapered; neuracicular lobes blunt, truncate, wider than long (fig. 17C). Neurochaetae about 20 per bundle, many blades missing, blades decreasing in size ventrally, bidentate, 2–8 times longer than wide, guards approaching subdistal tooth (Fig. 17D). Posterior region tapered. Preanal segment with dorsal cirri 4–5 times longer than ventral ones; anus terminal, anal cirri reach chaetiger 14. Oocytes not seen.

Remarks. Lamprophaea cuprea Grube, 1867, reinstated, resembles L. aurita (Hessle, 1925), n. comb., reinstated, described from Japan by having L-shaped nuchal organs lobes, and anterior eyes larger than posterior ones. However, L. cuprea has notochaete from chaetiger 5, whereas in L. aurita they are present from chaetiger 4.

Lamprophaea cuprea and its variety or subspecies, Leocrates c. iridis Grube, 1878, were regarded as junior synonyms of Leocrates chinensis Kinberg, 1866 by Ehlers (1901: 83), Hartman (1959: 187), Pettibone (1970: 213), and Pleijel (1998: 160). As indicated above, these two species belong to different genera and are not synonyms; the variety or subspecies, however, is conspecific with the stem species after Grube (1878: 106). However, the lack of type material for the variety makes it difficult to be more conclusive.

Pettibone (1970: 215) included USNM 19194 lot, and made her figure 15 after one of its specimens, but she did not describe them. This same specimen differs from typical Leocrates especially by the development of nuchal organs, and is herein regarded as belonging to Lamprophaea.

The largest and best preserved syntype has been selected as a lectotype (ICZN 1999, Art. 74.1). Consequently, in the sections above the term has been employed for this specimen, it has been redescribed and newly illustrated, and it is herein designated because of the poor condition of the other syntype (ICZN 1999, Art. 74.7).