A new species of Notomastus (Annelida, Capitellidae) from southern China, with remarks on its morphology and distribution.

María E García-Garza,Jian-Jun Wang,Ming-Xin Lyu,Jun-Hui Lin

doi:10.3897/zookeys.946.50662

Abstract

The genus Notomastus is frequently encountered in Chinese waters. However, its species richness is poorly understood. In this study, a Notomastus species obtained from Xiamen Bay, southern China, was described and illustrated as a new species (N. sunaesp. nov.), based on morphological and molecular analyses. The new species is characterized by having uniramous chaetiger 1, the presence of palpode and eyespots on prostomium, chaetiger 11 with notopodial capillaries and neuropodial hooded hooks, and notopodial lobes with simple epithelial extensions on far posterior abdomen. With additional specimens collected from several localities along the southern coasts of China, the morphology and geographical distribution of the new species are discussed. A key is also provided for Notomastus species with neuropodial hooks in thoracic chaetiger 11.

Highlights

Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae, which is among the most common families in marine surveys, are distributed at depths from the intertidal to abyssal zones (HernándezAlcántara and Solís-Weiss 1998; Blake 2000)
Notomastus was initially erected by Sars (1851) for the type species N. latericeus from Norway, a capitellid bearing an achaetous peristomium, 11 thoracic chaetigers with only capillaries, and an abdomen having only chaetigers with hooded hooks
Hartman (1960) described a Notomastus species with neuropodial hooks in last thoracic chaetiger, which is not found in most members of the genus

Summary

Introduction

Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae, which is among the most common families in marine surveys, are distributed at depths from the intertidal to abyssal zones (HernándezAlcántara and Solís-Weiss 1998; Blake 2000). Hartman (1960) described a Notomastus species with neuropodial hooks in last thoracic chaetiger, which is not found in most members of the genus. Notomastus mossambicus (formerly known as Paraleiocapitella mossambicus) is the only species in Chinese waters known to have the last thoracic chaetiger with notopodial capillaries and neuropodial hooded hooks.

Results

Conclusion