Protocirrineris (Polychaeta:Cirratulidae) in South Africa and description of two new species

Abstract

Introduction: The knowledge of polychaetes in the subtropical region of Africa benefited from the activity of J. Day. However, 50 years after the publication of his Monograph of the Polychaeta of southern Africa, it is necessary to reconsider the identity of the Cirratulidae due to changes in the diagnostic characters and new approaches to the taxonomy of the group to corroborate the status of cosmopolitan species in this region. Objective: We hypothesize that biodiversity of multitentacular Cirratulidae polychaetes has been significantly underestimated in southern Africa. Methods: The present work analyzes material deposited in the Iziko museum, as well as recently collected specimens, using scanning electron microscope to identify them. Results: The material corresponds to two new species belonging to the genus Protocirrineris. Protocirrineris strandloperarum sp. nov. is characterized by having the tentacular filaments between the chaetigers 5 to 10-12 and the first pair of branchiae from chaetiger 7, and P. magalhaesi sp. nov. is characterized by having tentacular filaments between chaetigers 4-8 and the first pair of branchiae from chaetigers 2 or 3. Descriptions of these species, with light and scanning electron microscope images, are given. Schematic drawings of the two new species are shown comparatively with diagnostic characters. Conclusions: The use of new techniques enables discovery of new taxonomic characters and two new species of the genus. The diversity of Cirratulidae polychaetes is underestimated also in the subtropical and tropical regions of Africa.

Two new species of Protocirrineris (Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) from Brazil

“…The genus Protocirrineris is present in the southwestern Atlantic (P. angellicolatio Elías & Rivero, 2009), northeastern Pacific (P. socialis Blake, 1996), northwestern Pacific (P. mascaratus Magalhães & Bailey-Brock, 2013), France (P. tenuisetis Grube, 1860), southwestern Pacific (P. nuchalis (Ehlers, 1907)), Indic (P. indicus Day, 1973), Mediterranean (P. chrysoderma (Claparède, 1868) and P. purgamentorum Lezzi, Çinar, & Giangrande, 2016) and South African (P. strandloperarum and P. magalhaesi, Elías et al, 2019). The two species and the two morphotypes described here constitute new additions to the known Protocirrineris species from the coast of Brazil ( Table 1).…”

“…The table provided by Magalhães & Bailey-Brock (2013) was modified to include the new species and novel morphotypes described herein as well as the new species described in Elías et al (2019) from South Africa in this same volume (Table 1). We propose a table, with the characters herein described for each new species, to aid in the identification of any new species of Protocirrineris encountered.…”

Still Digging: Advances and Perspectives in the Study of the Diversity of Several Sedentarian Annelid Families

“…Other areas where cirratulids have recently been studied and new species described include the Caribbean Sea, Hawaii, Korea, North-East Atlantic, and South Africa [103][104][105][106]. In particular, the recent description of five new species of Protocirrineris from South Africa and South America is remarkable as it represents important progress in the study of a little-known genus in a poorly studied geographical area [97,107,108].…”

“…Bitentaculate cirratulids mostly live in sediments, burrowing just under the surface, from intertidal areas (e.g., Chaetozone christiei Chambers, 2000 [118]) to abyssal plains (e.g., Aphelochaeta abyssalis Blake, 2019 [102]), although some can be found on hard substrates or coralline algae (e.g., Caulleriella viridis Langerhans, 1881 [119]). Multitentaculate cirratulids live in more varied habitats, including soft bottoms (e.g., Cirriformia tentaculata Montagu, 1808 [120]), rocks and crevices (e.g., Protocirrineris socialis Blake, 1996 [95]), or coralline algae (e.g., Protocirrineris strandloperarum Elías, Simon, and Sarracho-Bottero, 2019 [107]). Dodecaceria species burrow into mollusc shells and calcareous rocks (e.g., Dodecaceria concharum), or build their own tubes, creating rocklike colonies (e.g., Dodecaceria fewkesi Berkeley and Berkeley, 1954 [121]).…”

Protocirrineris stormae: A New Species of Polychaete from The Netherlands (Annelida: Polychaeta: Cirratulidae)

“…In the Cirratulidae family, the extent of diversity remains elusive, primarily attributed to the misclassification of a considerable number of cosmopolitan and yet-to-be-documented species [1][2][3][4][5]. Nevertheless, recent advancements in the field of Cirratulidae study have undertaken a comprehensive examination and documentation of various species, significantly augmenting our understanding of this family.…”