<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <title>Polycirrus catalanensis Lavesque & Hutchings & Daffe & Londoño-Mesa 2020, n. sp.</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> </head> <body> <h1> <i>Polycirrus catalanensis</i> n. sp.</h1> <p>Figures 4–5, Table 2.</p> <p> <b>Material examined</b>: <b>Holotype:</b> MNHN-IA-TYPE 2007, one complete specimen, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Reserve St Troc, 42°29’01”N, 3°08’48”E, 31 m depth, 2017. <b>Paratypes:</b> AM W.53112, one complete specimen, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Reserve St Troc, 42°29’01”N, 3°08’48”E, 31 m depth, 2017. MNHN-IA-TYPE 2008, two complete specimens, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Reserve St Troc, 42°29’01”N, 3°08’48”E, 31 m depth, 2017. AM W.53113, one complete specimen, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Reserve St Troc, 42°29’01”N, 3°08’48”E, 31 m depth, 2017, mounted for SEM.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Small species, holotype 11.5 (6.2–7.8) mm long and 0.5 (0.3–0.7) mm wide.</p> <p>Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of base of upper lip; basal part as thick crest across dorsum, extending laterally and dorsally, covering SG1 laterally and terminating lateral to lower lip. Buccal tentacles lost. Peristomium forming lips; upper lip, longer than wide, not elongated, with a single median and very thick convoluted lobe only (Figs 4 A–D; 5A); lower lip rectangular with rounded corners, longer than wide, very glandular and ridged (Figs 4 A–D; 5A).</p> <p>SG1 and 2 reduced, SG1 visible dorsally, SG2 visible dorsally and laterally (Fig. 4C); body slightly broader until SG6, mid-body inflated, posterior part tapering (Fig. 4 A–B, D). Ventro-lateral inflated pads present from SG3 to SG10, well-defined (Figs 4 A–D; 5A). Anterior mid-ventral groove present from SG3 (Figs 4D, 5A).</p> <p>Notopodia from SG3, extending for 15 (13) segments, until SG17 (SG15); distinctly elongate, rectangular, first two pairs slightly shorter, bilobed, postchaetal lobe digitiform, larger than prechaetal one (Fig. 5 A–B). Narrowly winged notochaetae in two rows, distal ends whip-like (Fig. 5 B–C), with wings inconspicuous under light microscopy (Fig. 4E). Neuropodia from SG17 (SG15–16); uncini with short occipitum and slightly convex base (Type 1) (Fig. 4F), crest with single row of secondary teeth, with a sharp elongate central tooth almost reaching tip of main fang, and two small lateral teeth on each side (Fig. 5D), subrostral process present as low protuberance (Fig. 4F).</p> <p>Nephridial and genital papillae not seen.</p> <p>Pygidium rounded with pointed tip (Fig. 4D).</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> Species name refers to the Catalan Sea (north-western Mediterranean), where the species was found.</p> <p> <b>Habitat</b>. Coastal heterogeneous sands, 30 m depth.</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> Banyuls-Cerbere natural reserve, Catalan Sea, Mediterranean Sea, France.</p> <p> <b>Distribution</b>. Only known from type locality.</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> <i>Polycirrus catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b> is characterized by the presence of notopodia extending over 13–15 segments which is similar to <i>P. denticulatus</i> (12–13 segments), <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b> (12–13 segments) and <i>P. norvegicus</i> (14–20 segments) (Table 2). Among these species, only <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b> shows almost the same range in the first appearance of neuropodia (from SG15–16 for <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, from SG15–17 for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>) (Table 2).</p> <p>However, <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b> differs from <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b> by the shape of uncini (two rows of teeth above the main tooth and the absence of subrostral process for <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, a single row of secondary teeth above the main tooth and the presence of subrostral process for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>), the shape of upper lip (elongated triangular medial lobe for <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, very thick single medial lobe for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>), the shape of lower lip (oval and wider than long for <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, rectangular and longer than wide <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>) and the presence of a large mid-ventral grove on anterior segments for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b> (not visible for <i>P. pennarbedae</i> <b>n. sp.</b>) (Table 2).</p> <p> <i>Polycirrus catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b> differs from <i>P. denticulatus</i> by the first appearance of neuropodia (from SG15–17 for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, from S12 for <i>P. denticulatus</i>), by he shape of lower lip (rectangular for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, subtriangular, pointing toward mouth for <i>P. denticulatus</i>), the shape of notochaetae (with wings inconspicuous for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, subdistally expanded for <i>P. denticulatus</i> following Glasby & Hutchings, 2014) and dental formula of uncini (MF:3 for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, MF:1: α for <i>P. denticulatus</i>).</p> <p>Another species occurring in the French Mediterranean Sea, <i>P. medusa,</i> differs from <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b> by the presence of notopodia on 12 segments (instead of 13–15 for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>), by the type of notochaetae (absence of pinnate chaetae for <i>P. catalensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>, but present for <i>P. medusa</i>), by uncini with complete transverse series of secondary teeth above main tooth (instead of a crest with a very long tooth and two small lateral teeth for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>), by the presence of trefoiled upper lip with thin margin (instead of upper lip with single medial lobe with thick margin for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>) and by the presence of a subtriangular lower lip, pointing towards the mouth (instead of a rectangular one for <i>P. catalanensis</i> <b>n. sp.</b>) (Table 2).</p> </body> </html>