Eunice philocorallia Buchanan 1893

Eunice philocorallia Buchanan, 1893

Eunice philocorallia Buchanan, 1893:173–176, pl. 9: figs. 2–6, pl. 10: figs. 7–9, pl. 11.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype, BM(NH) 1920.1.5.1,50 miles off Bolus Head, Kerry, Ireland; dredged, 375 m, in parchment-like tubes on Lophophelia prolifera. Royal Dublin Society Survey of Western Ireland, 1891.

DESCRIPTION.—Holotype complete, of unknown sex, with 136 setigers; total length 115 mm; maximal width 6 mm; length through setiger 10, 15 mm. Anterior end cylindrical; middle and posterior ends dorsoventrally flattened with prominent parapodia. Anal cirri as long as last 15 setigers.

Prostomium (Figure 89j) distinctly shorter and narrower than peristomium, as deep as of peristomium, bent ventrally. Prostomial lobes frontally rounded, dorsally inflated; median sulcus shallow. Eyes between bases of A-I and A-II, hidden below peristomial fold in illustration. Antennae in transverse row, evenly spaced, similar in thickness. Ceratophores ring-shaped in all antennae, without articulations. Ceratostyles cylindrical, with up to 12 cylindrical, poorly marked articulations in A-III. A-I and A-II to middle of posterior peristomial ring; A-III to setiger 2. Peristomium ~3 times as long as prostomium, cylindrical. Separation between rings distinct dorsally and ventrally; anterior ring ~ of total peristomial length. Peristomial cirri to middle of prostomium, tapering, with 8 cylindrical articulations.

Jaws not examined.

Branchiae present, pectinate, distinctly shorter than notopodial cirri, not reduced in mid-body region, flexible. Branchiae from setiger 6 to setiger 135. Branchiae present to near posterior end, present on more than 65% of total number of setigers. First branchia single filaments; maximum 4 filaments. Stems very short, truncated. Filaments slender, digitiform, shorter than notopodial cirri.

Anterior neuropodial acicular lobes (Figure 89m) distally rounded; posterior acicular lobes increasingly obliquely conical with the high side dorsally (Figure 89n); aciculae emerging dorsal to midline. Presetal lobes low, oblique folds with high side dorsally. Postsetal lobes folds following outline of acicular lobes closely. Anterior ventral cirri broadly attached below ventral edge of acicular lobes, tapering to blunt tips. Ventral cirri strongly inflated basally from about setiger 4 through setiger 45; inflated bases completely reduced by setiger 50. Inflated bases nearly spherical; narrow tips tapering. Posterior ventral cirri short and tapering, blunt, emerging from posterior parapodial faces, directed posteriorly and dorsally. Anterior notopodial cirri basally slightly inflated, with 6 articulations. Notopodial cirri increasing in length posteriorly, becoming slightly longer than body width in last setigers, retaining at least 2 articulations in all setigers.

Limbate setae narrow, marginally smooth. Pectinate setae (Figure 891,p) narrow, tapering, flat. One marginal tooth longer than other teeth, with ~10 teeth. Shafts of anterior compound falcigers (Figure 89k) inflated, marginally indistinctly serrated; distal beaks present Appendages thick; heads small, bidentate. Proximal teeth slightly shorter than distal teeth, thick, triangular. Distal teeth slender, curved or bent Guards asymmetrically bluntly pointed; mucros absent Shafts of posterior compound falcigers (Figure 89o) tapering, marginally smooth; beaks absent Appendages distinctly tapering; heads distinct Proximal teeth larger than distal teeth, narrowly triangular, directed laterally. Distal teeth short, blunt, nearly erect Guards symmetrically bluntly pointed, marginally smooth; mucros absent. Pseudocompound falcigers and compound spinigers absent Aciculae at least paired, with dark brown to black cores and clear sheaths, bluntly pointed, straight or gently curved; cross-section round. Notopodial aciculae slender, straw-colored to light brown. Subacicular hooks (Figure 89q) with dark brown to black cores and clear sheaths, bidentate. Hooks first present from setiger 34, present in all setigers thereafter, single in most setigers, up to 3 hooks present in some setigers. Proximal teeth very much larger than distal teeth, directed laterally. Distal teeth nearly erect, often nearly missing.

UNKNOWN MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES.—Jaw structure; pygidium and anal cirri.

EXPECTED STATES OF SELECTED UNKNOWN FEATURES.—None.

CHARACTERS USED IN PREPARATION OF KEY NOT SCORED.—Inappropriate Characters: 56, 58, 59. Unknown Characters: 4, 6,42.

ASSUMED STATES FOR PURPOSE OF PREPARING KEY.—None.