Laubierpholoe maryae Pettibone 1992

Laubierpholoe maryae

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—NEW ZEALAND: South Island, Kaikoura Harbor, Rubies Reef, 42°24′S, 173°41′E, 12 m, coarse broken shell, 6 Feb 1983, N.W. Riser collector, holotype (USNM 126750); 4 paratypes (USNM 126751, 126752); paratype (ZMUC). Aquarium Point, Otago Harbor, intertidal, gravel, 18 Apr 1983, N.W. Riser collector, paratype (ZMUC).

DESCRIPTION.—Holotype 3 mm long, 1 mm wide, 27 segments; paratype 2.8 mm long, 1 mm wide, 29 segments. Elytra large, oval, covering dorsum, delicate, with few papillae on lateral border and few on surface; some with developing young inside (Figure 4H). Dorsal tubercles nodular.

Prostomium and tentacular segment fused; prostomium oval, bilobed, with anterior lobes lateral to large ceratophore of median antenna, projecting anteriorly; median antenna in notch of prostomium, with style about as long as prostomium; without eyes (Figure 4A). Tentaculophores lateral and anterior to prostomium, each with ventrolateral papilla and pair of tentacular cirri; dorsal tentacular cirrus longer than median antenna, ventral tentacular cirrus very small, nearly hidden from view dorsally; palps very long, stout, tapering, emerging lateral and ventral to tentaculophores; no facial tubercle; anterior lip of mouth with 2 rows of small papillae (Figure 4A,B). Segment 2 with first pair of large, bulbous elytrophores, biramous parapodia, with some papillae on anterior and ventral sides of neuropodia, and ventral buccal cirri as long as dorsal tentacular cirri (Figure 4A,B). Pharynx with 9 dorsal and 9 ventral border papillae, medial 3 pairs slightly smaller and separated from lateral pairs; pair of subdistal lateral papillae, and 2 pairs of jaws (Figure 4C).

Notopodium about as long as neuropodium, both conical acicular lobes (Figure 4D). Notosetae numerous, slender, slightly curved, with capillary tips (Figure 4E). Neurosetae stouter than notosetae, compound; shafts without distal spines, blades of 3 kinds: few supraacicular ones, one type with long, minutely spinose blade with blunt tip, other type shorter, coarsely serrated, tapering to sharp tip (Figure 4F); subacicular (8 or so), with blades shorter, falcate, minute spinose (Figure 4G). Ventral cirri short, tapered (Figure 4D). Pygidium with pair of long anal cirri.

DEVELOPMENT.—Holotype with 7 large eggs in segments 11–15; paratype with 4 large eggs in segments 13–16. Developing juvenile inside large elytron, consisting of 7 setigerous segments, with neurosetae and notosetae, 3 developing segments, pharynx, anterior appendages, and elytra (Figure 4H).

ETYMOLOGY.—The species is named for Mary E. Petersen, in recognition of her work on polychaetes.

DISTRIBUTION.—South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, intertidal to 7 meters.