Laeonereis culveri (Webster 1879)

Laeonereis culveri (Webster)

Nereis culveri Webster, 1880:111 [plates referred to but not published]; 1886:140, pl. 6: figs. 23–30, pl. 7: figs. 31, 32 [reprinting of 1880 with addition of figures].—Ferguson and Jones 1949:440.

Leptonereis culveri.—Fauvel 1923b:124, fig. 5.—Hartman 1938:14.

Nereis (Leptonereis) acuta Treadwell, 1923: 1237, figs. 1–5.

Leptonereis pandoensis Monro, 1937:242, fig. 1a–f.

Laeonereis culveri.—Hartman 1945:21; 1951:44, pl. 13: figs. 3, 4; 1954a:415; 1956:253; 1959a:243, 245, 262; 1959b:539, 540.—Behre 1950:12.—Hedgpeth 1950:111.—Carpenter 1956:93, 101.—Rioja 1958: 257.—Frankenberg and Burbanck 1963:87.—Wells and Gray 1964:72.—Oglesby 1965:621.—Mazurkiewicz 1969:1146; 1970:1, figs. 1–27.

Leptonereis nota Treadwell, 1941:1, figs. 7–10.

Laeonereis brunnea Hartmann-Schröder, 1959: 135, figs. 92–99.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—CONNECTICUT: Mystic River estuary, 41°22′10″N, 71°59′42″W, depth less than 1 meter, salinity on bottom 31‰, 24 August 1964, M. Mazurkiewicz, collector—60 specimens (USNM 33288). NEW JERSEY: Beesley’s Point, Great Egg Harbor, coarse sand and gravel, about half tide, H. E. Webster, collector—10 syntypes of Nereis culveri (USNM 541; BMNH). MARYLAND: Broom’s Island, about 10 miles from mouth of Patuxent River, 30 May 1939, J. P. E. Morrison, collector—3 specimens (USNM 22244). Patuxent River at Long Point, 1 mile south of Benedict and N.E. of St. Leonard, Calvert County, August 1968, S. L. H. Fuller, collector—3 specimens (USNM 40127–8). Upper Chesapeake Bay in Fox Creek, tributary of Rhode River, 22 August 1969, J. Vogel, collector—5 specimens (USNM 41604). VIRGINIA: Norfolk peninsula in Willoughby Bay and off Hampton Bar, August 1940, F. F. Ferguson, collector—12 specimens (USNM 22245–6). NORTH CAROLINA: Beaufort, summer 1877, Mr. C. L. Culver, collector—11 syntypes of Nereis culveri (USNM 28178). Cape Hatteras area in Sandy Bay, 12 July 1959, J. L. Taylor, collector—1 specimen (USNM 43400). Currituck Sound, 19 October 1960, J. A. Kerwin, collector—5 specimens (USNM 33292). Beaufort, 1967, W. B. Vernberg, collector—24 specimens (USNM 38742). SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston, March 1960, R. Lunz, collector—4 specimens (USNM 33291). GEORGIA: Sapelo Island on Raccoon Bluff Beach, Marsh at high tide, and Blackbeard Creek, sand and mud flat, 1961, M. Gray, collector—10 specimens (USNM 33294–6). High Point, Sapelo Island, muddy sand and Spartina, 1962, D. Frankenberg, collector—4 specimens (USNM 33297). FLORIDA: East coast in St. John’s River drainage system, Brevard County, taken on surface after using Rotenone, 13 May 1956, W. McLane, collector—numerous specimens (USNM 28083). West coast at Seahorse Key near Cedar Key, sand, 1959, 1960, J. L. Taylor, collector—65 specimens (USNM 30045, 33289–90). Gulf coast at Apalachicola and Bald Point, 1960, L. Oglesby, collector—17 specimens (USNM 39640–1). MISSISSIPPI: Biloxi, sandy-mud flat, October 1943, M. W. Williams, collector—2 specimens (USNM 22242). East Ocean Springs at Davis Bay, about 2 feet, brackish water on sheltered shore of sandy mud, 17 August 1949, R. L. Caylor, collector—5 specimens (USNM 22093). Ocean Springs east of Henderson Point, 30°18′N, 89°17′W, 21 March 1968, W. Langley, collector—1 specimen (collection Gulf Coast Laboratory). LOUISIANA: Grand Isle, sandy beach, E. H. Behre, collector—3 specimens (USNM 22243). TEXAS: Offats Bayou, Galveston—holotype of Leptonereis nota (AMNH 2896). Upper part Galveston Bay, center of Trinity Bay, mud, 18 December 1969, G. E. Williams, collector—1 specimen (USNM 43401). BRAZIL: Santos, February 1914, H. Lüderwaldt, collector—3 paratypes of Nereis (Leptonereis) acuta (USNM 19030). URUGUAY: Arroyo de Pando, Canelones, in freshwater, E. H. Cordero, collector—6 syntypes of Leptonereis pandoensis (BMNH 1934:4: 22:4–30; USNM 43474). EL SALVADOR, CENTRAL AMERICA: Gulf of Fonseca, Isla Perrico, G. Hartmann-Schröder, collector—holotype of Laeonereis brunnea (ZMH 143). Gulf of Fonseca—Isla Perrico, Jaltepeque and Jiquilisco estuaries, G. Hartmann-Schröder, collector—numerous paratypes of Laeonereis brunnea (ZMH 143; USNM 43403).

TYPE MATERIAL.—The syntypes of Nereis culveri from Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey (USNM 541) include nine complete specimens and one anterior fragment. One of them has a length of 55 mm, a width of 4 mm, including setae, and 110 segments. The syntypes from Beaufort, North Carolina (USNM 28178) include four complete specimens and seven anterior fragments. The pharynx was not extended on any of the syntypes.

The three paratypes of Nereis (Leptonereis) acuta Treadwell (USNM 19030) are incomplete posteriorly, from 19 to °25 mm in length, 4 mm in width, including setae, and up to 72 segments. None of them had the pharynx extended, but dissection showed the presence of the paired triangular papillae on the oral ring and some tufts of papillae on the maxillary ring; being colorless, they are difficult to see (not mentioned by Treadwell). The more posterior parapodia are modified as in L. culveri; some of the lower neurosetae are homogomph falcigers with rather long blades (not described by Treadwell).

The syntypes of Leptonereis pandoensis (BMNH 1934:4:22:4–30; USNM 43474) include three smaller complete specimens, one of which has a length of 42 mm, a width of 4 mm, including setae, with about 125 segments, and three larger specimens incomplete posteriorly; one with 51 anterior segments has a length of 32 mm and a width of 5 mm, including setae. None of the syntypes had the pharynx extended, as noted by Monro; one of them had been dissected.

The holotype of Leptonereis nota Treadwell (AMNH 2896) is incomplete posteriorly, with a length of 55 mm, a width of 2 mm, including parapodia, and composed of 86 segments. It is rather dark, showing the transverse banding posteriorly. The setae are mostly broken. It is a female having large yolky eggs. The pharynx was partially extended, showing the characteristic tufts of papillae (Figure 5c,d; not mentioned by Treadwell).

The holotype of Laeonereis brunnea from the Gulf of Fonseca (ZMH 143) consists of anterior and middle fragments totaling 41 segments (67, according to Hartmann-Schröder), 14 mm in length (about 20 mm—Hartmann-Schröder), and 2 mm in width, including setae. The numerous paratypes vary in size from small specimens of 21 segments with posterior growth zone, 2 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, to one of 55 segments with posterior growth zone, 12 mm in length and 1 mm in width. The types of L. brunnea all appear to be juveniles.

DESCRIPTION.—Length up to 60 mm, width up to 5 mm, including setae, segments up to 140. Body widest about segment 8, diminishing rapidly anteriorly and gradually posteriorly. Variable in coloration: iridescent whitish to yellowish or reddish brown; posterior region sometimes with two broken bands per segment; conspicuous dark glandular areas in dorsal ligules and bases of dorsal and ventral cirri. Prostomium relatively small compared with broad body, with deep anterior notch, sometimes appearing as triangular depression on anterior half; frontal antennae and biarticulate palps short; eyes subequal, moderately large (Figures 5a-c; 6a; 7a). Tentacular segment about twice as long as following segment; tentacular cirri relatively short, longest extending to about setiger 2 (1–3). First two setigers (Figures 6b,c) with dorsal cirri and single notopodial ligule; neuropodia similar to those of following segments.

Parapodia of anterior region (Figures 6d-f; 7c,d) larger, with more numerous lobes. Dorsal cirri much shorter than ligules. Notopodia with larger triangular upper ligules, much smaller lower ligules, and still smaller presetal lobes between them. Neuropodia with rounded presetal and postsetal lobes and oval lower ligules. Ventral cirri very small. Notosetae and neurosetae only homogomph spinigers (Figure 6g). Parapodia of middle and posterior segments smaller, with fewer lobes (Figure 6i-l; 7e-h). Presetal notopodial and both presetal and postsetal neuropodial lobes inconspicuous; neuropodial ligules much smaller. Upper bundles of neurosetae homogomph spinigers; lower bundles with homogomph spinigers and falcigers with rather long blades (Figure 6h).

Pygidium with paired anal cirri. Jaws of pharynx with 12 or more teeth extending to near tip; oral or basal ring bare except for pair of conical papillae or triangular areas on middorsal side (area VI); maxillary or distal ring with tufts of cylindrical hooked papillae on all areas as follows: middorsal group (area I) with about 5 papillae (3–6); dorsolateral groups (area II) with about 12 papillae (10–14); ventrolateral groups (area IV) with about 10 papillae (8–12), 3 midventral tufts (area III) of smaller papillae (Figures 5c-g; 7b). Juveniles with fewer papillae (Hartmann-Schröder, 1959, for L. brunnea).

DISTRIBUTION.—East coast North America from Connecticut (Mystic River estuary) to Florida (east coast), Gulf of Mexico (Florida to Mexico), Central America (El Salvador), east coast South America from French Guinea (Fauvel, 1923b:124), Brazil, and Uruguay (freshwater).

Websterinereis new genus

TYPE-SPECIES.—Nereis tridentata Webster, 1880. Gender: feminine.

DIAGNOSIS.—Prostomium subpyriform, with paired frontal antennae, biarticulate palps, and two pairs of eyes. Tentacular segment achaetous and apodous; four pairs of tentacular cirri with distinct cirrophores. Parapodia of first two setigers subbiramous, notopodium represented by dorsal cirrus and single ligule. Dorsal cirri at bases of upper notopodial ligules. Notopodia with two ligules and usually additional presetal lobe in anterior parapodia (inconspicuous in W. glauca). Neuropodia with postsetal lobes and lower ligules; with or without presetal lobes distinct from acicular lobes. Ventral cirri short, tapered. Notosetae homogomph spinigers only. Neurosetae homogomph and heterogomph spinigers and heterogomph falcigers. Pygidium with paired anal cirri. Pharynx with paired jaws, without paragnaths; with papillae on basal or oral ring: large papillae dorsally (area VI) and single row of minute papillae ventrally (areas VII-VIII).

ETYMOLOGY.—The genus is named for Harrison Edwin Webster, pioneer worker on the Polychaeta.

Four species (together with four synonyms) are referred herein to Websterinereis, including the following:

W. glauca (Claparède) [including Leonnates pusillus Langerhans; Nereis (Leptonereis) vaillanti Saint-Joseph]

W. tridentata (Webster)

W. foli (Fauvel) [including Ceratocephala corallicola Reish]

W. punctata (Wesenberg-Lund) [including Laeonereis ankyloseta Day]