Dipolydora caulleryi (Mesnil 1897)

Polydora caulleryi Mesnil

Polydora caulleryi Mesnil, 1897, pp. 88–89, pl. 3:figs. 12–14.—Southern, 1914, p. 104.—McIntosh, 1915, pp. 210–212, pl. 100:fig. 8, pl. 106:fig. 5.—Fauvel, 1927, pp. 54–55, fig. 19f–h.—Hartman, 1951, pp. 83–84; 1965, pp. 149–150, pl. 28:figs. b–d.—Pettibone, 1954, pp. 282–284, fig. 32l–q.—Hannerz, 1956, pp. 123–126, figs. 43–44.—Eliason, 1962, p. 53.—Blake, 1969b, p. 52, fig. 38.

Polydora carazzi McIntosh, 1909, pp. 172–173, pl. 5: figs. 4–6.

Polydora brachycephala Hartman, 1936, pp. 48–49, figs. 3–5; 1941, p. 307; 1944, p. 238; 1954, p. 10; 1961, p. 29; 1969, figs. 1–3.—Filice, 1958, p. 190.—Reish, 1959, pp. 38, 61, 67, 70, 75; 1964b, pp. 86–92.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Maine (Damariscotta River), Connecticut (Noank), Massachusetts (Cape Cod Bay, coll. SEP), California (Dillon Beach, coll. K. H. Woodwick), Sweden (Kattegatt, NMGS).

DESCRIPTION.—Largest specimens measure 50 mm in length, are 2.2 mm wide, and have over 150 segments. Rust colored pigmentation has been observed dorsally on the anterior segments of some specimens. The color in life is light tan with prominent red blood vessels. A female which had recently spawned was yellow.

The anterior end is prominently wedge-shaped (Figure 8a). The prostomium is deeply incised anteriorly with two rounded lobes. The caruncle extends back through setigers 3 or 4. Eyes are present or absent; if present, a small oval pair lies posterior to a more widely spaced cup-shaped pair. Palps are slender.

Setigers 1–4 have flattened, bladelike parapodial lobes, the notopodial lobes being somewhat auriculate (Figure 8b, h, i). The notosetae of setiger 1 are short, slender capillaries (Figure 8h) while those of setigers 2–4 are long, slender, winged capillaries (Figure 8g). Setiger 6 and succeeding segments contain notopodial fascicles of long, winged capillary setae. In far posterior segments, the capillary notosetae are replaced by a curved row of stout, sharply pointed spines (Figure 8g). Neurosetae of setigers 1–4 and 6 are long, slender capillaries. Bidentate hooded hooks begin on setiger 7, accompanied by a tuft of capillary setae. The hooks are recurved, with a main fang at nearly right angles to the shaft and have a smaller secondary tooth (Figure 8f). There are about 13 hooks on anterior setigers, the number gradually diminishing until in far posterior segments only about 5 can be found in a parapodium, accompanied by one or two capillary setae.

Setiger 5 is large, with a heavy musculature, overlapping setiger 6. The characteristic large, bushy-topped modified spines are arranged in an anteriorly elevated semicircle, accompanied by a few very fine, capillary companion setae (Figure 8c, d). A vertical row of dorsal, winged setae is located anterior to and above the heavy spines (Figure 8e). The neurosetae consist of a tuft of curved capillary setae.

Branchiae begin on setiger 7, being small at first and reaching full size on setiger 11. They are absent from the last third of the body.

The pygidium consists of four equal lobes (Figure 8j).