Cirriformia akiyoae, Jimi & Fujiwara & Kajihara, 2024

Cirriformia akiyoae sp. nov.

[New Japanese name: Akiyo-mizuhiki] ( Figs 19–21 View Fig )

Material examined. Hinoshima: one of unknown sex, body length 56 mm, body width 2 mm, 264 chaetigers, 21 June 2014, coll. N. Jimi. Holotype (NSMT-Pol P-951), COI INSD accession no. PP891566.

Description. Body length 56 mm and width 2 mm, 264 chaetigers, and color in life orange. Color in alcohol pale yellow ( Fig. 19A View Fig ). No pigmentation in anterior ventral zone. Body elongated, dorsally inflated and grooved throughout, ventral surface not grooved. Eyes absent. Prostomium broad triangular ( Fig. 20). Paired nuchal organs located on prostomium. Peristomium with one annulation and some wrinkles, deeply grooved in junction between peristomium and chaetiger 1. Branchiae start from chaetiger 1, one pair per segment. Branchiae arising from notopodial ridge, not shifting to mid-dorsal section. Notopodia and neuropodia separated, forming shoulders present at median position along whole body. Two groups of dorsal tentacles arising from chaetigers 7–8; each group with 10–11 tentacles. Dorsal tentacles organized in two groups each. Notopodia and neuropodia with capillary chaetae and spines. Notochaeta: 4–11 capillary chaetae per fascicle along entire body, 2–4 spines ( Fig. 21A View Fig ) present from chaetiger 60 and following chaetigers, spines short, slightly curved, blunt. Neurochaeta: 2–10 capillary chaetae per fascicle along entire body, 2–5 spines ( Fig. 21B View Fig ) present from chaetiger 32 and following chaetigers, spines short, slightly curved, blunt. Pygidium simple, with terminal anus.

Methyl Green Staining Pattern. The margin of prostomium and edge of dorsal area of chaetigers 1–6 were notably stained. Segment after tentacles were stained forming complete rings around segments, inter-segmental grooves not staining ( Fig. 19B, C View Fig ).

Etymology. This species is named after Ms. Akiyo Mori grandmother of NJ who provided many supports about NJ’s work.

Distribution and habitat. Only known from tidal flats of Hinoshima, Kumamoto Prefecture. This species was collected with C. petersenae .

Remarks. This species resembles C. tortugaensis (Augener, 1922) , C. abyssalis sp. nov., C. septentrionalis sp. nov. with dorsal tentacles arising from chaetigers 7–8. Dorsal tentacles of C. tortugaensis arise from three segments (6–8), whereas dorsal tentacles of C. akiyoae arise from two segments. Cirriformia abyssalis has ventral grooves formed by projection of neuropodia, whereas ventral surface of C. akiyoae is flat. The edge of dorsal area before tentacles of C. septentrionalis is not notably staining, whereas C. akiyoae is notably stained.