Research Article |
Corresponding author: Jesús Angel de León-González de León-González ( jesus.deleongn@uanl.edu.mx ) Academic editor: Christopher Glasby
© 2016 Jesús Angel de León-González de León-González, Eduardo F. Balart.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
de León-González JA, Balart EF (2016) A new species of Websterinereis from the Gulf of California and redescription of Websterinereis foli (Fauvel, 1930) (Annelida, Nereididae). ZooKeys 614: 15-26. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.614.8843
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A new species of Websterinereis Pettibone, 1971, W. pettiboneae sp. n. is described from La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico. This species is similar to W. foli (Fauvel, 1930) in the neuropodial falcigers shape, but can be separated by the tentacular cirri length, notopodial prechaetal lobe shape, and the size of the notopodial dorsal and ventral ligules on posterior parapodia. Websterinereis foli is redescribed based upon type material. Additional observations on the inter-annual density variation of W. pettiboneae sp. n. during a four-year study are also provided. A key to all species of Websterinereis is included.
Mexico, Nereididae , new species, polychaetes, taxonomy
The family Nereididae de Blainville, 1818 comprises 44 genera which can be separated by a number of characters associated with the eversible pharynx and parapodial structures. Eunereis Malmgren, 1965 and Websterinereis Pettibone, 1971 are very similar to each other because the pharynx in both has papillae on the oral ring, and there are no paragnaths or papillae on the maxillary ring. These genera can be separated because Eunereis has notopodial homogomph falcigers whereas Websterinereis presents only notopodial homogomph spinigers. Websterinereis was established by
In this contribution a new species of Websterinereis is described which had previously been confused with W. foli due to the morphological similarity of their compound falcigers. In order to further clarify the taxonomic status of this taxon, a re-description of W. foli is provided based on type material. An additional comment on inter-annual density variation, observed during a four-year study, is given for the new species of Websterinereis.
Specimens of the new species were collected during a long-term study of coral reef recuperation following a tanker vessel grounding in San Lorenzo Channel, La Paz Bay, in the south-western Gulf of California, Mexico. In 2001 thirty concrete and rock, artificial- reef structures were deployed on the bottom of the grounding site. Later, live fragments of the coral Pocillopora spp. were attached over the artificial reef surfaces. From 2004 to 2009 a seasonal monitoring survey was carried out aimed at evaluating the structural and ecological recovery of the restored site (Balart et al. 2010). It included samplings of rocky benthic infauna in ten of the artificial reef structures as a proxy for benthic reef community recovery. An area of 0.20 × 0.20 m on a lateral wall in each structure was sampled (0.04 m2; total sampled area by survey 0.4 m2). This area was fragmented with chisel and hammer and the fragments transferred to polyethylene bags in situ. Sorting and taxonomic analysis of formalin-fixed worm material was performed in the Laboratory of Biosystematics (
The mean density (individual per m2) of the ten artificial reef structures sampled per survey was used to evaluate the variation in abundance of the new species of Websterinereis throughout the study period. Relationships between density data and environmental variables were also analyzed.
Websterinereis Pettibone, 1971: 19.
Nereis tridentata Webster, 1879, by original designation.
Prostomium sub-pyriform to pentagonal, one pair of frontal antennae, a pair of globose biarticulate palps, and two pairs of eyes of different shape. Peristomium with four pairs of short tentacular cirri. Pharynx with pair of jaws. Maxillary ring unarmed, oral ring with papillae on areas VI and VII-VIII. First two parapodia uniramous, remainder biramous. Notopodium represented by dorsal cirri with dorsal and median ligulae, notopodial prechaetal lobe present on anterior parapodia. Neuropodium with superior and inferior lobe forming prechaetal area; postchaetal lobe subulate to triangular, ventral ligule generally subulate. Ventral cirri short. Notochaetae homogomph spinigers; neurochaetae homogomph and heterogomph spinigers and heterogomph falcigers, those in posterior parapodia with short to long blades; anchylosed chaetae may be present. Pygidium with pair of anal cirri.
Holotype (
Lorenzo Channel, La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico, (2 specimens), Stn 28 (24°23'12"N, 110°18'55.1"W), April 2006; (1 specimen), Stn 5 (24°23'12.2"N, 110°18'55.1"W), July 2006; (2 specimens), Stn 27 (24°23'12"N, 110°18'54.9"W), July 2006; (1 specimen), Stn 1 (24°23'12.8"N, 110°18'54.2W), October 2006; (4 specimens, 2 epitokes), Stn 3 (24°23'12.8"N, 110°18'54.8"W), October 2006; (1 specimen), Stn 5 (24°23'12.2"N, 110°18'55.1"W), October 2006; (12 specimens), Stn 9 (24°23'11.7N, 110°18'55.4"W), October 2006; (1 epitokous specimen), Stn 12 (24°23'11.4"N, 110°18'55.5"W), October 2006; (1 specimen), Stn 13 (24°23'11.5"N, 110°18'54.8"W), October 2006; (3 specimens), Stn 3 (24°23'12.8"N, 110°18'54.8"W), 3 October 2007; (3 specimens), Stn 9 (24°23'11.7N, 110°18'55.4"W), 3 October 2007; (1 specimen), Stn 13 (24°23'11.5"N, 110°18'54.8"W W), 3 October 2007.
Holotype complete with restricted blackish pigmentation (Fig.
Websterinereis pettiboneae sp. n. A Anterior end, dorsal view B–D Parapodia of chaetigers 10, 26 and 42, anterior view E Supra-acicular neuropodial heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 10 F Infra-acicular neuropodial heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 10 G Supra-acicular neuropodial heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 26 H Infra-acicular neuropodial heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 26 I Supra-acicular neuropodial heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 42. Scale bars: A = 0.5 mm; B–D = 100 µm; E–I = 10 µm.
Body 12 mm long, 0.8 mm wide including parapodia, with 60 chaetigers. Prostomium subpyriform, longer than wide. Two pairs of black oval eyes in rectangular arrangement, distal pair with larger lens than proximal pair. Antennae tapered, extended beyond tips of palpostyles. Palps and palpostyles globose. One apodous anterior segment, 1.5 times longer than first chaetiger. Tentacular cirri short, tapered, longest reaching chaetiger 3 (Fig.
Pharynx with brown jaws, each with six teeth. Maxillary ring lacking paragnaths or papillae; oral ring with subconical papillae in area VI, and five globose papillae in line along areas VII–VIII.
Parapodia of first two chaetigers uniramous, remainder biramous. In anterior parapodia notopodia with subulate dorsal ligules, notopodial prechaetal lobes short triangular, and ventral ligules subtriangular, rounded distally; neuropodia with postchaetal lobes distally rounded, superior and inferior lobes not distinct, ventral ligules subulate. Dorsal cirri inserted basally, four times longer than ventral cirri, and 1.4 times than notopodial dorsal ligule (Fig.
Anterior parapodia with notochaetae represented by four supra-acicular homogomph spinigers; supra-acicular neurochaetae include two homogomph spinigers and two heterogomph falcigers with thick handle and short triangular blade (Fig.
Pygidium with terminal anus and two anal cirri.
Epitokous female. Best preserved specimen with 64 chaetigers, 9 mm long and 0.5 mm wide (excluding parapodia). Prostomium pentagonal, wider than longer, with frontal median dorsal groove. Antennae minute, shorter than anterior end of palpi. Two pairs of eyes in trapezoidal arrangement, anterior pair enlarged, oval in shape, posterior pair rounded in shape. Biarticulate palps globose, each with spherical palpostyle. Tentacular ring with four pairs of tentacular cirri, posterodorsal pair extending back to anterior margin of sixth chaetiger (Fig.
Body divided into unmodified anterior region and a heteronereidid region; parapodia of first 19 chaetigers similar of those of atokous specimens (Fig.
Pygidium similar to those of atokous specimens.
Specific name is in honor of Marian H. Pettibone for her great work on increasing the knowledge of polychaetes.
Websterinereis pettiboneae sp. n. resembles W. foli in the shape of the compound falcigers, although there is greater variation in the shape of compound falcigers in W. foli. These species differ in the following features: W. pettiboneae has longer tentacular cirri reaching chaetiger 3, notopodial prechaetal lobes are triangular, and notopodial dorsal and ventral ligule are progressively smaller in posterior parapodia. In W. foli the longest tentacular cirri reaches chaetiger one, with a thin, cirriform prechaetal notopodial lobe inserted at the base of the notopodial ventral ligule, and the dorsal and ventral ligule increasing slightly in posterior parapodia.
Websterinereis pettiboneae sp. n. is known only from Canal de San Lorenzo, La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico.
The mean density of W. pettiboneae sp. n. varied from 2.5 ±2.5 individuals per m2, in May 2005, to a maximum of 587.5 ±110.8 individuals per m2 recorded in July 2008 (Fig.
Leptonereis foli Fauvel, 1930: 529, fig. 3.
Websterinereis
foli
:
Nicon
sp.
Holotype of Leptonereis foli (
Holotype incomplete, in two fragments; anterior fragment 15 mm long, 1.1 mm wide including parapodia at chaetiger 10, with 54 chaetigers; medial region fragment 2.5 mm long, 0.7 mm wide including parapodia, with 8 chaetigers.
Pigmentation blackish; prostomium with longitudinal narrow band throughout its length, leaving thin pale mid-dorsal line, pale subtriangular area around the anterior eyes, and pale semicircular area around posterior eyes; palpophores pale; tentacular segment with solid blackish dorsal pigmentation, laterally pale, reduced to wide dorsal longitudinal band on first chaetiger.
Prostomium subpentagonal, longer than wide, with slight depression along anterior half. Two pairs of black eyes, distal ones reniform larger than proximal ones which are rounded and show lenses. Antennae tapered, not reaching tips of palpostyles; palps globose, palpostyles conical; both antennae and palps directed ventrally as result of an artifact of fxation. One apodous anterior segment, shorter than first chaetiger. Tentacular cirri short, tapered, longest pair reaching chaetiger one (Fig.
Websterinereis foli. Holotype (
Pharynx with single jaw (left one lost), thin, with seven well-developed teeth. Maxillary ring without paragnaths or papillae; oral ring with triangular papillae on area VI, area V lacking papillae, areas VII–VIII, with seven rounded papillae.
Parapodia of first two chaetigers, uniramous, thereafter biramous. Anterior notopodia with triangular dorsal and ventral ligules, with thin notopodial prechaetal lobe inserted at base of notopodial ventral ligule; neuropodial postchaetal lobes subtriangular, superior and inferior lobes absent, neuropodial ventral ligules subconical. Dorsal cirri inserted basally, longer than ventral cirri. With large glandular area on notopodia, and smaller one on base of neuropodial ventral ligule (Fig.
Anterior parapodia with four homogomph spinigers in supra-acicular notochaetae; supra-acicular neurochaetae include three homogomph spinigers and two heterogomph falcigers with thick handle and short triangular blades (Fig.
After reviewing the holotype of W. foli some differences were noted from the description by
Central Pacific (New Caledonia, Marshall Islands), Australia (Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Lizard Islands), Indonesia.
1 | Anterior parapodia with notopodial prechaetal lobes small, inconspicous; unidentate ankylosed chaetae present in epitokous stage | W. glauca |
– | Anterior parapodia with notopodial prechaetal lobes distinct | 2 |
2 | Neuropodial falcigers with long blades | 3 |
– | Neuropodial falcigers with short blades | 4 |
3 | Longest tentacular cirri reach chaetiger 6; notopodial prechaetal lobe present along body; bidentate ankylosed chaetae present on median and posterior parapodia | W. punctata |
– | Longest tentacular cirri reach chaetiger 2 (1-4); notopodial prechaetal lobe present only on anterior region; ankylosed chaetae absent | W. tridentata |
4 | Longest tentacular cirri reach chaetiger 1; notopodial prechaetal lobe thin, digitiform; notopodial dorsal and ventral ligules increasing in length slightly on posterior parapodia | W. foli |
– | Longest tentacular cirri reach chaetiger 3; notopodial prechaetal lobe triangular; notopodial dorsal and ventral ligule are progressively smaller in posterior parapodia | W. pettiboneae |
The first author thanks Tarik Meziane for facilities during his research stay in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. We are grateful to Sergio Salazar for providing valuable comments on an early version of this manuscript. Cynthya Santos, Harlan Dean and Chris Glasby provided substantive comments that greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Mario Cota and Juan J. Ramírez from CIBNOR for assistance during field work. This research was supported by a grant from Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO Project CT001).