(Figs. 5, 19A–H)
Harmothoe gilchristi Day, 1960: 275, fig. 1a–f; Day (1967): 68, fig. 1.10a–e; Barnich & Fiege (2000): 1922, fig. 17A–D; Barnich & Fiege (2003): 43, fig. 19A–D.
Type material. Harmothoe gilchristi: holotype, SAM A20904, 26 May 1958,? 34°46’S 23° 27’E,? 110 m, dredge, Coll. UCT Ecological Survey, det. J. Day.
Additional material. Mediterranean: 1 spm., SMF 4693, “Calypso”, St. 37, Straight of Kassos, 15 May 1964, 150 m, Coll. Pérès indét. 1 spm., SMF 8542, “ Urania ” CS 96, St. 243, 36°51’N, 13°08’E, Straight of Sicily, Urania Bank, 5 January 1997, 634– 181 m, with parasitical copepod, leg. H. Zibrowius.
(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 few scattered papillae and rounded conical microtubercles in anterior part, becoming gradually larger and club-shaped towards posterior margin.
Description (based on additional specimens in good condition, SMF 4693 for anterior end and SMF 8542 for remaining parts).
Body with 36 to 39 segments. At anterior end (Fig. 19A), 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 four to seven segments cirrigerous; elytral margin with fringing papillae; surface covered by few scattered papillae and rounded conical microtubercles in anterior part, becoming gradually larger and clubshaped towards posterior margin (Fig. 19B,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. 19D). Notochaetae stouter than neurochaetae, with distinct rows of spines and blunt tip (Fig. 19E,F); neurochaetae with distinct rows of spines, tips all bidentate with distinct secondary tooth (Fig. 19G,H).
Measurements. H. gilchristi, holotype, SAM A20904: L 16 mm, W 3.5 mm for 38 segments. Specimens figured: SMF 4693, L 13 mm, W 3 mm for 36 segments (Fig. 19A); SMF 8542, L 20 mm, W 3.5 mm for 39 segments (Fig. 19B–H)
Remarks. Wehe (2006) re-evaluated the specimens identified by Amoureux et al. (1978) as Harmothoe gilchristi in the Red Sea (see also Barnich & Fiege 2000 and 2003) and showed that they belong in fact to H. liaoi Barnich, Fiege & Sun, 2004.
Distribution. Northeast to Southeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea..
Habitat. On corals and other substrata, in shallow waters down to 845 m.