Wagner F. Magalhães

The Multitentaculate Cirratulidae of the Genera Cirriformia and Timarete (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Shallow Waters of Brazil

A large number multitentaculate cirratulids have been described worldwide but most are only known through the original descriptions. Type material, voucher and recently collected specimens from Brazil were revisited in order to reveal their true identity and confirm the records of widely distributed species in this region. Six species are described, three of which are new, Cirriformia capixabensis sp. nov., Cirriformia chicoi sp. nov. and Timarete ceciliae sp. nov. COI and 16S sequences were obtained and used for inter-specific comparisons. Timarete caribous is reported from several localities along the Brazilian coast and a new synonym, Cirratulus melanacanthus, is proposed. The species Timarete oculata, originally described from Brazil and lumped into the Timarete filigera species complex, is herein revalidated and redescribed. The occurrence of the species Timarete filigera and Cirriformia tentaculata is not confirmed from the Brazilian coast. Descriptions, illustrations and a key to genera and species are provided.

A new species and two new records of Cirratulidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Guam, Mariana Islands

Polychaetes from the Mariana Islands of Guam and Saipan have been characterized in previous studies but a thorough taxonomic study of the cirratulids has only been possible recently. Here we report on two new records, Caulleriella pacifica and Chaetozone flagellifera , and a new species, Monticellina lueldredgei , sp. nov. The species C. pacifica is newly recorded for the western Pacific while C. flagellifera is reported for the first time since its original description. The new species M. lueldredgei is unique in the genus with respect to the ultrastructure and segmental origin of the modified capillaries as well as for the distinctive methyl green staining pattern.

Glyceridae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Guam, Mariana Islands with description of a new species of Glycera Savigny in Lamarck, 1818

Glycera juliae sp. nov., is described from shallow water sediments within Apra Harbor, Guam, Mariana Islands. This species is characterized by the presence of ailerons with rounded triangular base; proboscideal papillae of type 1 mainly digitiform with straight, median, longitudinal ridge and type 2 shorter and broader, oval to globular, without ridges; two slender triangular to digitiform prechaetal lobes, notopodial lobe slightly shorter than neuropodial lobe, two short postchaetal lobes, rounded anteriorly with posterior notopodial lobe becoming sub-triangular and longer than rounded neuropodial lobe; branchiae present, retractile, simple digitiform attached medially on anterior side of parapodia and a dark brown pigmentation forming transverse bands on prostomium and body segments. It is most similar to Glycera nicobarica and G. macintoshi by the shape of parapodial structures but also shares similarities with Glycera sphyrabrancha, G. branchiopoda, G. guatemalensis, G. semibranchiopoda and G. southeastatlantica by the shape and types of proboscidial papillae, differing on the shape of the ailerons, parapodial lobes and presence of branchiae. The occurrence of Glycera tesselata is confirmed for Guam and specimens are described and illustrated with SEM photographs.

A new species of Protocirrineris (Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) from Hawaii including a redescription of the New Zealand Protocirrineris nuchalis

Abstract Protocirrineris mascaratus sp. nov., is described from intertidal reef flats in Oahu, Hawaii. It is unique among its congeners by the segmental origin of the feeding tentacles and branchiae in addition to the very distinct methyl green staining pattern on the anterior end. A redescription of Protocirrineris nuchalis based on syntypes and a comparative table of all valid species within Protocirrineris is presented.

Coral reef inhabiting tubeworms (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) from Enewetak, Kwajalein, Rongelap and Utirik Atolls, Marshall Islands

The coral reef inhabiting tubeworms from the Marshall Islands have been studied by few authors mainly by samplings in Enewetak Atoll. We report several new records of serpuline and spirorbine tubeworms from Enewetak Atoll as well as from Kwajalein, Utirik and Rongelap Atolls. Twenty-one species of Serpulinae and seven species of Spirorbinae are described and illustrated with line drawings, colour and/or scanning electron microscopy photographs. Neodexiospira turrita nom. nov. is proposed to replace Neodexiospira preacuta . Enewetak Atoll still represents the most species-rich atoll in the Marshall Islands but this is most likely the result of a greater sampling effort in this atoll for the last few decades.

Four new species of Magelona (Annelida: Magelonidae) from Easter Island, Guam and Hawaii

Several collections of magelonids from Easter Island, Guam in the Mariana Islands and Hawaii were examined. Five magelonids are fully described and illustrated: Magelona anuheone sp. nov. (Easter Island), M. cf. symmetrica Mortimer Mackie, 2006 (Guam), M. alexandrae sp. nov. (Hawaii), M. cinthyae sp. nov. (Hawaii) and M. paulolanai sp. nov. (Hawaii and Guam). Magelona anuheone sp. nov. has a distinctly longer than wide prostomium with inflated and well-developed prostomial horns, similar to M. montera from the Indian Ocean. Magelona alexandrae sp. nov. belongs to Magelona species with crenulated upper margin of thoracic postchaetal lamellae and also well-developed prostomial horns. Magelona cinthyae sp. nov. is unique among its congeners in that several collected adult individuals presented two or more eyespots in the prostomium, a feature only previously recorded to pelagic larval stages. Magelona paulolanai sp. nov. belongs to a group of species with rudimentary prostomial horns, simple capillaries on chaetiger 9 and tridentate abdominal hooks. All species are illustrated and compared to their morphologically similar congeners.

Taxonomic revision of Cirratulus (Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) from the coasts of Argentina, with description of a new species

Among the polychaetes, the family Cirratulidae is one of the most challenging taxonomically because most of the currently used diagnostic characters change during ontogeny. It is therefore necessary to use a combination of characters to make an accurate identification. The present work is the first of a planned revision of the genus Cirratulus from coastal zones of Argentina. The examined material came from the two largest natural history museums of the country, and showed several morphotypes. Some specimens corresponded to described species, but others were undoubtedly undescribed. Among the previously known Cirratulidae, Cirratulus jucundus (Kinberg, 1866) and Cirratulus patagonicus (Kinberg, 1866), formerly distributed for Antarctica are now also present in coastal continental areas of Argentina. The new species Cirratulus mianzanii sp. nov. is described from subtidal areas off Peninsula Valdes, Patagonia. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the segmental origin of both tentacular filaments and first pair of branchiae in the junction between the peristomium and first chaetiger. Branchiae arise some distance from the notopodium but not at the dorsal midline of the body. Ventral groove present along the body, with a fine dark midline. Capillary chaetae are serrate seen under an optical microscope, and the segmental origin of neuro- and notopodial spines is different from other species of the genus.

Taxonomic remarks on the genus Ctenodrilus (Annelida: Cirratulidae) including description of a new species from the Pacific Ocean

A new species of Ctenodrilus is described based on morphology, anatomy and molecular (COI and 16S) data. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the newly described Hawaiian species is the sister taxon of the widely distributed C. serratus. Comparisons of K2P distances show distances of at least 10.9 % for 16S and 18.7 % for CO1. Morphology of C. serratus differs from C. pacificus sp. nov. in the shape, number and distribution of multidentate hooks along the body, extent in segments of anterior ventral cilia, and presence of stomach cilia. Ctenodrilus pacificus sp. nov. resembles C. parvulus in terms of the internal anatomy but differs in respect to the shape of multidentate hooks. Asexual reproduction in the new species is described including associated changes in the external morphology and internal anatomy. A revision of the taxonomic characters of Ctenodrilus is also presented in order to provide background information for a better assessment of the widely distributed taxon Ctenodrilus serratus.

Spawning event of Pherecardia striata followed by washed up individuals in Hawaii

Pherecardia striata (Kinberg 1857) is a polychaete worm of the family Amphinomidae. Amphinomids are known as ‘fireworms’ due to the discomfort and itching sensation if touched. P. striata is an active predator that can swallow pieces of fish and live prey such as small crabs, shelled gastropods, and other worms and even be hand fed in aquaria (Glasby and Bailey-Brock 2001). This is a large species reaching up to 20 cm in length in Hawaii and distributed throughout the IndoPacific (Bailey-Brock 1987). In Hawaiian shallow coral reefs, this species is known to spawn on a summer night, an event most likely triggered by a full moon. The spawning event was photographed on the night of July 25, 2005 in Coconut Island, Kaneohe Bay (Darlyne Murawski pers. comm.) and featured in Holland (2007) in a special issue of National Geographic. On the morning of August 17, 2014, dozens of individuals of Pherecardia striata were found dead at Kahanamoku Beach, 21.281602, -157.838943 (Fig. 1). Nearly ten years before, on August 6, 2004, about 200 individuals were found in a nearby beach (Ala Moana Beach , 21.288693, -157.847722) as reported in a local newspaper (Fujimori 2004). Although spawning events for this species are known to occur annually, heavy rains may have caused the massive deaths of individuals reported in 2004 and 2014. Predictions on spawning events of marine worms are very exact for the palolo worm (Palola viridis Gray in Stair, 1847) that spawns at the third quarter of the moon in October or November. This event is highly celebrated as the worms are eaten raw in the South Pacific. The three spawning events recorded for Pherecardia striata are documented herein for the third quarter of the moon of July or August and can be further investigated and celebrated by night divers and tourists.

A new species and two new records of Poecilochaetus (Polychaeta: Poecilochaetidae) from Hawaii

A new species, Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov., is described from the east and south shores of Oahu, Hawaii. Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov. is unique in the genus by the presence of noto- and neuropodial spines from chaetiger 11 to posterior segments. Neuropodial spines on anterior chaetigers are absent in all other Poecilochaetus species while notopodial spines are limited to segments preceding the pygidium. Poecilochaetus cf. koshikiensis, originally described from Japan, is newly recorded from Hawaii and apparently widely distributed in the western Pacific and South-east Asian Seas. Poecilochaetus sp. is distinguished from the other two species by the distribution of the ampullaceous cirri (7–12) and its chaetal characters.