Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata, Guillermo San Martin, 2005

Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata View in CoL n.sp.

Fig. 46A–I

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND. HOLOTYPE: AM W26712, Halifax Bay, north of Townsville, 19°09'S 146°37'E, 5 m, Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd, July 1985. PARATYPES: 4 specimens, AM W26713, Halifax Bay, north of Townsville, 19°09'S 146°37'E, 5 m, Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd, July 1985. 1 specimen (identified as Brania opisthodentata ), ZHM P-21030, Heron Island, coarse sand, intertidal, G. Hartmann-Schröder, 4 Feb 1976.

Description. Body small, 2.3 mm long, 0.15 mm wide, 24 chaetigers. Dorsal surface provided with short papillae (Fig. 46A,C). Prostomium ovate, partially covered dorsally by peristomium (Fig. 46A,B), wider than long; 4 eyes in trapezoidal arrangement; antennae longer than prostomium, shorter than combined length of prostomium and palps (Fig. 46A); median antenna inserted in front of anterior eyes, slightly posteriorly to lateral antennae; lateral antennae inserted on anterior margin of prostomium (Fig. 46A,B). Palps fused all along their length, with a dorsal furrow (Fig. 46B). Dorsal cirri short on anterior segments (Fig. 46A), slightly longer on midbody and posterior segments (Fig. 46C), absent on chaetiger 2. Parapodial glands small, with granular material, present from chaetigers 4–5 (Fig. 46A,C). Anterior parapodia each with 3–4 compound chaetae, with short, unidentate blades, provided with moderate to short marginal spines, spines longer on dorsalmost chaetae (Fig. 46E), about 8 µm long, and dorsal simple chaeta, unidentate, with short marginal spines (Fig. 46D); progressively, blades of compound chaetae missing and shafts enlarging, forming thick simple chaetae; from midbody posteriorly, parapodia each with 4 simple chaetae by modification of compound chaetae (Fig. 46G), dorsal (Fig. 46F) and ventral (Fig. 46H) unidentate, smooth, simple chaetae.Acicula solitary, distally bent at right angle (Fig. 46I). Pharynx through about 3 segments (Fig. 46A), pharyngeal tooth relatively long, on anterior margin. Proventricle through 2 segments (Fig. 46A), with 23 muscle cell rows. Pygidium small, provided with relatively long papillae, and 2 long anal cirri (Fig. 46C).

Remarks. Sphaerosyllis bardukaciculata n.sp. is similar to Sphaerosyllis aciculata Perkins, 1981 , from Florida; the chaetae are nearly identical; S. bardukaciculata , however, differs from S. aciculata in having longer antennae and anal cirri, and parapodial glands with granular material instead of fibrillar material (Perkins, 1981).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Habitat. Coarse sand.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word barduk, meaning “near”, referring to its similarity with S. aciculata .