Sphaerodoridae (Annelida) of the deep Northwestern Atlantic, including remarkable new species of Euritmia and Sphaerephesia.
Sphaerodoridae (Annelida) is a seeming uncommon and minimally diverse group of polychaetes in the northwestern Atlantic, with only seven species reported from the United States, and none from the eastern coast of Canada, before the present study. Review of the large Smithsonian collection (National Museum of Natural History, Washington) revealed the presence of two morphologically extraordinary undescribed species and added a new record to the north-western Atlantic region. Euritmia carolensis sp. n. is characterised by bearing approximately 20 sessile spherical papillae arranged in three transverse rows per segment, ventrum with 4-6 larger papillae near the parapodial bases and parapodia without papillae; bearing 4-5 simple chaetae that are enlarged subdistally. Sphaerephesia amphorata sp. n. is distinguished from other congeners in the presence of four longitudinal rows of sessile, bottle-shaped macrotubercles with exceptionally long digitiform terminal papilla, and parapodia with four rounded and small papillae, bearing 4-7 compound chaetae, with blades 7-11 times as long as wide. Other encountered species are also herein re-described, including intraspecific variation and updated iconography. Comparison of material also allowed some systematic changes in the group, including the synonymisation of the genus Amacrodorum with Euritmia, and the transfer of Ephesiopsis shivae to Ephesiella. A key to the species reported from the Northwestern Atlantic is provided.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
María
M
Capa
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology, 10th and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. USA.
Karen J
KJ
Osborn
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Torkild
T
Bakken
Amacrodorum; Ephesiopsis; Generic synonymy; NW Atlantic; epithelial tubercles; shelf; slope
Zootaxa. 2015 Jan 16;3911(1):91-105
25661598
Zootaxa. 2015 Aug 14;4000(2):227-67
26623612
Zootaxa. 2015 Sep 18;4019:168-83
26624069
Cladistics. 2016 Aug;32(4):335-350
34740300