Neopsammolyce floccifera (Augener 1906)

Neopsammolyce floccifera (Augener, 1906)

Psammolyce floccifera Augener, 1906:109, pl. 2: figs. 24–30.

Psammolyce arenosa.—Augener, 1933:193.—Hartman, 1944:14 [part; not Sigalion arenosum Delle Chiaje, 1830].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—CARIBBEAN SEA: Off Dominica: 216 m, U.S. Coast Survey R/V Blake sta 117, syntype (MCZ).

Panama: Caledonia Bay, 15–25 m, Allan Hancock Atlantic Exp. sta A4–39, 1 specimen (LACM-AHF, as P. arenosa by Hartman, 1944, mixed with Pelogenia fimbriata). Galeta, 29 m, burrowing in sandy bottom, 26 Sep 1978, G. Hendler, collector, I specimen (USNM 146138).

GULF OF MEXICO: United States: FLORIDA: West coast, 25°02′N, 83°14′W, 59 m, broken shell, R/V Sch. Grampus sta 5055, 16 Feb 1889, 1 specimen (USNM 146137).

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN: Off Barbados: 188 m, Blake sta 273, syntype (ZMH 209A). Gairaca, Saint Martin, 0–15 m, Exp. Chazalie, 29 Feb 1896, 1 specimen (ZMA 1203, as P. arenosa by Augener, 1933).

TYPE MATERIAL.—Syntype (ZMH 209A) anterior fragment of 45 segments, 20 mm long and 5 mm wide, with setae; elytral all free in vial, thickly covered with sand grains and rusty red material. Syntype (MCZ) hardened; elytra missing.

DESCRIPTION.—Figured specimen from West coast of Florida (USNM 146137) anterior and middle fragments totalling 59 segments, 24 mm long and 4 mm wide. Complete specimen from Galeta, Panama (USNM 146138), with 136 segments, plus regenerating posterior end of 42 segments, 58 mm long and 7 mm wide; pharynx partly extended, with 11 pairs of papillae and 2 pairs of jaws.

Dorsum and elytra thickly covered with white calcareous sand grains, shell fragments, spicules, and foraminifera, thicker on inner parts of elytra. Dorsum with adhesive papillae, single and some longer and branched, with flattened tops (Augener, 1906, pl. 2; fig. 28). Ventrum thickly covered with globular papillae, with long cylindrical papillae on lower lip of mouth region, along midventral groove, and in transverse rows, 1 per segment. First pair of elytra elongate-oval, sometimes slightly bilobed anteriorly, with cylindrical papillae on borders, and short and long adhesive papillae on surfaces (Figure 10D); following anterior elytra subreniform, indistinctly bilobed medially, with border papillae on 3 sides and numerous adhesive papillae on surfaces, more numerous on inner halves, plus low globular papillae (Figure 10E,F; Augener, 1906, pl. 2: fig. 27); middle elytra with digitiform medial processes (Figure 10G).

Prostomium and tentaculophores partially withdrawn in segment II; prostomium oval, with 2 pairs of eyes, smaller dorsally and larger ventrally; ceratophore of median antenna large, bulbous basally, with lateral ridges; style slightly longer than ceratophore; tentaculophores each with dorsal tentacular cirrus as long as median antenna, and slightly shorter ventral tentacular cirrus on outer side, and 2 bundles of notosetae and inner tentacular sheath on inner side; ventral palps stout, tapering and extending beyond tentacular cirri, with low inner palpal sheaths; lateral antennae small, bilobed, attached side by side on dorsal bases of tentaculophores where fused to prostomium (much lower and closer than usual); digitiform facial tubercle on upper lip (Figure 9A,B; Augener, 1906, pl. 2: fig. 24).

Segment II truncate anteriorly between large elytrophores, with lateral branchiae; biramous parapodia with notopodia almost as large as neuropodia, with large subdistal flanges enclosing very numerous notosetae, extending laterally beyond tips of neurosetae; ventral buccal cirri extending to tips of neurosetae (Figure 9C; Augener, 1906, pl. 2: fig. 24); compound neurosetae very numerous, slender, stems with long spinous regions, blades long, slender, tapering to fine tips (Figure 9D). Segment III with branchiae on lateral sides of dorsal tubercles; neuropodia covered with globular papillae and long papillae on subdistal bracts; cirrophores of ventral cirri with long papillae, styles extending to tips of neuropodia (Figure 9E); upper and middle neurosetae stout, stems with 0–3 spinous rows, blades short, falcate, with bifid tips; lower neurosetae more slender, stems with single spinous rows, blades long, with slender secondary tooth (Figure 9F).

Biramous parapodia with ciliated ridges between notopodia and branchiae and elytrophores or dorsal tubercles, without distinct ctenidia; notopodia shorter than neuropodia, subconical, with prominent subdistal flanges enclosing numerous, finely spinous, capillary notosetae; neuropodia subconical, papillate distally with usual subdistal bracts, with long papillae; neuropodia thickly covered with globular papillae and some cylindrical papillae, styles without basal knobs, with minute papillae, tapering to tips of neuropodia (Figure 10A,B; Augener, 1906, pl. 2: figs. 25, 26). Upper neurosetae (about 3) within dorso-anterior bracts, stems with 5–7 spinous rows, blades with distinct or slight indication of secondary tooth; middle neurosetae (about 11) within postacicular bracts, stems with 2–4 spinous rows, blades similar to upper ones; lower neurosetae (about 6) within ventro-anterior bracts, stems more slender, with 1–2 spinous rows, blades long, with small secondary tooth or entire (Figure 10C; Augener, 1906, pl. 2: fig. 30).

DISTRIBUTION.—North Atlantic Ocean: Caribbean Sea: Panama; Gulf of Mexico: Florida; in 0 to 216 meters.