Catalogue of type specimens deposited in the Polychaeta Collection of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon (Mexico)

Background

In Mexico, there are six scientific collections of polychaetous annelids. The "Colección Poliquetológica" from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León houses one of the three most important collections of annelids in the country, based on a number of lots and number of type materials deposited, as well as geographical coverage.

New information

A catalogue of type materials of polychaete annelids housed at the "Colección Poliquetológica" from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (México) is presented for the first time. The Collection contains 37 holotypes, 174 paratypes and one syntype. These type materials are grouped in 15 families, 35 genera and 54 species of marine worms. Types were described mostly from the Mexican waters, with a low number of types from Ecuador, El Salvador, Argentina, USA, Philippines, New Caledonia and Japan.

Sclerozoan and fouling sabellid worms (Annelida: Sabellidae) from Mexico with the establishment of two new species

Background

The sabellid genera Anamobaea Krøyer, 1856 and Notaulax Tauber, 1879 are two of the most attractive polychaete worms in coral reefs. Anamobaea is represented by two Caribbean species and Notaulax with 24 species from around the world, six of them previously known to tropical America. During examination of fouling biota and sclerozoans from Mexico, Anamobaeaorstedii Krøyer, 1856 was found in coral reefs from the southern Gulf of Mexico and three species of Notaulax were identified to the Mexican Pacific, two of them being new species to science.

New information

Anamobaeaorstedii Krøyer, 1856 is first reported as sclerozoan of dead coral from the southern Gulf of Mexico. An amendment to the generic diagnosis of Anamobaea is provided, based on the presence of a higher number of skeletal cells than previously recorded; height, shape and exposition of the anterior peristomial ring; the non-fusion of dorsal collar margins to faecal groove; shape of collar chaetiger and abdominal chaetae and distribution and shape of radiolar ocelli. Notaulaxcalifornica (Treadwell, 1906) is reported as fouling in buoys and docks from the Gulf of California. Two new species of Notaulax are described: the former was found in hull and dock fouling from La Paz (Gulf of California) and the second one as sclerozoan of oysters from a dock fouling in Acapulco (south Mexican Pacific). In addition, reproductive features are described for the first time for A.orstedii which is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with female and males gametes found within the same segments of abdominal region. Oocytes develop synchronously and sperm morphology (spherical nucleus and rounded acrosome, four spherical mitochondria and a long free flagellum) suggest an adaptation to broadcast spawning and external fertilisation. Species of Notaulax here examined were gonochoric, with gametes distributed in abdominal segments.

Fan worms (Annelida: Sabellidae) from Indonesia collected by the Snellius II Expedition (1984) with descriptions of three new species and tube microstructure

The Indonesian archipelago is one of the most diverse regions in the marine World. Many contributions on polychaete worms have been published since the Dutch Siboga Expedition to the Indonesian archipelago at the end of the 19th century. In this study, we examined specimens of Sabellidae Latreille, 1825 collected during the Snellius II Expedition (1984) to Indonesia, carried out by the Dutch Research Vessel (RV) "Tyro" and the Indonesian RV "Samudera". The results include reports of Acromegalomma acrophthalmos, A. interruptum, A. sp., Bispira manicata, B. porifera, B. secusoluta, Branchiomma boholense, Notaulax pyrrohogaster, N. tenuitorques, N. sp. 3, Parasabella crassichaetae, Perkinsiana anodina, and Sabellastarte spectabilis. In addition, three new species are described: Acromegalomma sumbense sp. nov., Claviramus olivager sp. nov., and Notaulax montiporicola sp. nov., the latter in living coral (Montipora nodosa). Further, Sabella (Potamilla) polyophthalmos Grube is transferred to Pseudopotamilla. Additional histological accounts of B. porifera and tube microstructure of A. acrophthalmos, B. porifera, P. anodina, Pseudopotamilla polyophthalmos and Sabellastarte spectabilis are also included.

First record of Glycera guatemalensis and G. sphyrabrancha (Annelida: Glyceridae) from Western Mexico

Introduction: Glycerides, commonly called “blood worms”, are relatively thin polychaetes that reach considerable sizes. They have been reported for all the seas of the world from the intertidal zone to abyssal depths. Objective: Evidence the presence of two species of Glycera for the littorals of the Mexican Pacific. Methods: An analysis of the glycerides of the Pacific coast of Mexico was carried out, finding two species that were collected, one of shrimp trawl at a depth of 18 meters off Puertecitos, Baja California, as well as by manual sampling in the intertidal zone of Concepción Bay, Baja California Sur in the Gulf of California. For their taxonomic determination, morphological characters of greater relevance for their identification were examined, such as jaws, aileron shape, parapodia, chaetae, and the type of pharyngeal papillae. Results: We diagnosed and schematized Glycera guatemalensis Böggemann & Fiege, 2001 and Glycera sphyrabrancha Schmarda, 1861. Conclusions: Glycera guatemalensis described for Guatemala and Glycera sphyrabrancha described for Jamaica, are recorded for the first time for the Gulf of California.

Two new species of Notodasus Fauchald, 1972 (Annelida: Capitellidae) from the Central Indo-Pacific region

Notodasus Fauchald, 1972 is a small genus of the polychaete family Capitellidae, including 10 described species worldwide. The genus is unusual in the Central Indo-Pacific, and there is no taxonomic record of Notodasus in this region. In this study, two new species of Notodasus are described and illustrated, namely Notodasus celebensis sp. nov. and N. chinensis sp. nov. The former species, collected from the mixed-species seagrass beds in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, is mainly characterized by the longitudinally striated epithelium on thoracic segments and the completely separated notopodial lobes. The latter species, obtained from coastal waters off southern China, differs from its congeners with the following characters: tessellated epithelium present on anterior thorax as well as on the dorsum of chaetigers 11 and 12, notopodial lobes fused and chaetal fascicles almost touching each other on anterior abdomen, and branchial pores evident from anterior abdomen. Comparisons are made with closely related species in this paper, and a revised key is provided to all described Notodasus species. The descriptions of the two new species represent the first record of Notodasus in this region and expand the geographical distribution of the genus.

Catalogue of Notomastus M. Sars, 1851 (Annelida, Capitellidae) and the description of a new species from the Gulf of California

Capitellids are burrowing, earthworm-like polychaetes. The taxonomy within the group presents significant difficulties, due in part to their relative simplicity. In this study, a catalogue of the capitellid genus Notomastus M. Sars, 1851, is presented and a new species is described from the Southern Gulf of California: Notomastus mazatlanensis sp. nov. The catalogue provides original names and synonymies for 43 species; type locality and location of type materials; records and remarks on systematics and distribution. Type material of 35 species were examined, 31 from which were photographed to illustrate the catalogue. Notomastus mazatlanensis sp. nov. is established based on the presence of finger-like branchiae emerging from the epithelium near to the notopodia. Branchiae are composed by 3-4 filaments, and the first chaetiger is uniramous. A taxonomic key for species distributed in the Gulf of California is presented. [Species name is register in ZooBank under urn: lsid: zoobank.org: pub:CC8A9E5A-7810-4272-A23C-DCB054E5B4EB].

Review of the Capitellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, with notes on selected species

The main objective of this work is to contribute to the taxonomic knowledge of the species of Capitellidae reported for the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This catalogue includes the original name of each species, new names, synonymies, type localities, the museum or institution where the type material is deposited, revision of the material reported for the region by different authors, new examined material, previous reports from other regions of the world, and comments on systematics and distributions. The catalogue lists 43 species in 19 genera. Of these, 6 species were erroneously recorded for the region (Decamastus gracilis Hartman, 1963; Decamastus nudus Thomassin, 1970; Mastobranchus variabilis Edwing, 1984; Notomastus aberans Day, 1957; Notomastus americanus Day, 1973; Notomastus latericeus Sars, 1851) and 5 species are found here to be questionable records for the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Capitella capitata (Fabricius, 1780); Dasybranchus glabrus Moore, 1909; Decamastus lumbricoides Grube, 1878; Notomastus lineatus Claparède, 1870 and Notomastus tenuis Moore, 1909).