Neopsammolyce petersi (Kinberg 1856)

Neopsammolyce petersi (Kinberg, 1856)

Psammolyce petersi Kinberg, 1856:388; 1858:31, pl. 9: fig. 43.—Day, 1967:105 [same record].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—INDIAN OCEAN: Mozambique: G.V. Dueben, collector, 2 syntypes (NRS 427).

TYPE MATERIAL.—The two syntypes are anterior fragments, the smaller syntype with 52 segments, 41 mm long and 8 mm wide, with setae; the larger syntype with 68 segments, 69 mm long and 11 mm wide; the pharynx (had been cut, free in vial), has 11 pairs of papillae and 2 pairs of dark amber-colored jaws; the syntypes are very flabby, the integument soft and transparent.

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsum and elytra thickly covered with sand grains and reddish mud, giving speckled appearance to body (Kinberg, 1858, pl. 9: fig. 43A). Ventral surface thickly papillated with globular papillae; long cylindrical papillae on posterior lip region and anterior segments, along midventral groove and bases of neuropodia. First pair of elytra elongate, oval, not deeply notched anteriorly (Kinberg, 1858, pl. 9: fig. 43H′). Elytra oval, thin, transparent, tough, with exposed parts covered with sand, with long cylindrical papillae along lateral, posterior, and medial borders; surfaces with short, rounded papillae and some long cylindrical adhesive papillae with flattened tops; more posterior elytra with medial processes (Figure 6G).

Prostomium and tentaculophores fused basally and partially withdrawn in segment II; prostomium oval, large ceratophore of median antenna tapering distally, with style about 2 times longer than ceratophore; eyes not visible (2 pairs shown by Kinberg); long tentaculophores each with single aciculum, long dorsal tentacular cirrus, shorter than median antenna, and shorter ventral tentacular cirrus, 2 bundles of notosetae extending anteriorly to tip of dorsal tentacular cirrus; lateral antennae short, bilobed, on dorsal sides of tentaculophores; palps, emerging ventral and lateral to tentaculophores, stout, tapering, about twice length of style of median antenna, with short inner palpal sheaths (Figure 6A; Kinberg, 1858, pl. 9: fig. 43B).

Segment II with middorsal papillate hump between bases of large elytrophores (Figure 6A); notopodia with large flanges encircling numerous notosetae; neuropodia with long papillae on ventro-anterior bracts; long ventral buccal cirri extending to tips of neurosetae (Figure 6B); compound neurosetae slender, stems long with spinous rows on exposed parts and blades long, slender, with entire tips (Figure 6C). Parapodia of segment III with small branchiae on dorsal tubercles, without dorsal cirri; extra long papillae on neuropodial postacicular bracts and on cirrophores of ventral cirri (Figure 6D); upper neurosetae similar to those on following segments, with rather long blades; stems of lower neurosetae without spinous rows and blades long, with bifid, hooked tips.

Notopodia of biramous parapodia small, subconical, with rounded subdistal flanges encircling numerous notosetae; neuropodia subconical, papillate distally; usual subdistal bracts with numerous long papillae, nearly hiding neurosetae; ventral cirri extending beyond basal tips of neuropodia; long papillae on anterior, posterior, and ventral sides of neuropodia (Figure 6E). Compound neurosetae stout, stems smooth, blades rather short, tips curved, with large secondary tooth; upper group of neurosetae (about 3) within dorso-anterior bracts; middle group (about 11) within postacicular bracts; and lower group (about 7) within ventro-anterior bracts (Figure 6E,F).

DISTRIBUTION.—Indian Ocean: Mozambique.