Another piece for the syllid puzzle: A new species from Japan and its mitochondrial genome reveal the enigmatic Clavisyllis (Phyllodocida: Syllidae) as a member of Eusyllinae

Abstract

The phylogenetic relationships of Syllidae have been analyzed in several studies during the last decades, resulting in highly congruent topologies. Most of the subfamilies were found to be monophyletic, while other groups (Eusyllinae and several genera) have been reorganized attending their phylogenetic relationships. However, there are still several enigmatic genera, which could not be assigned to any of the established subgroups. These enigmatic genera usually show a combination of characters indicating relationships with several different groups, and some show morphological traits unique to Syllidae. One of the most intriguing genera, still unclassified within Syllidae is Clavisyllis Knox. Herein, we provide a complete description of a new species Clavisyllis tenjini n. sp. from Japan. We sequence the complete mitochondrial genome, compare with the available data from other syllids, and perform a phylogenetic analysis of three genes (18S, 16S, COI), traditionally used in previous studies. Clavisyllis shows a unique combination of characters within Syllidae, such as nuchal lappets and large ovoid dorsal cirri. The new species has additional anterior appendages that have not been found in any other syllid. Our results show the genus is a member of Eusyllinae, closely related to Pionosyllis Malmgren. The mitochondrial gene order agrees with the considered plesiomorphic gene order in Annelida, which is present in all members of Eusyllinae investigated so far. Clavisyllis reproduces by epigamy, the reproductive mode of members of Eusyllinae. The present study contributes to the systematics of Syllidae, a complex group with a large number of species and striking reproductive modes.