Zootaxa, Taxonomy of Serpulidae (Annelida ... - Magnolia Press

Material and methods
The aim of this review is to provide up-to-date information on the current state of taxonomy of Serpulidae
sensu lato. Although the position of Spirorbinae within Serpulidae has been determined (Kupriyanova 2003,
Kupriyanova et al. 2006, Lehrke et al. 2007), spirorbins are not included in the present paper because
composition and phylogenetic relationships within this monophyletic group recently have been treated
elsewhere (Macdonald 2003). The morphology of serpulids (and variability of morphological characters) is
reviewed with respect to features that can be used as characters in forthcoming cladistic analyses. “Not
observed” in the diagnoses below indicates that no data have been given in the literature and material either
could not be (re-) examined by us, or was not preserved well enough.
Since a mere literature compilation would not be sufficient when dealing with a group with such a
complex taxonomic history, we examined with use of light microscopy representatives (mostly previously
unpublished material) of all genera currently considered valid in Serpulidae sensu lato. It should be noted that
some of the characters are subject to interpretation, changing gradually rather than in distinct steps. Moreover,
while structure of chaetae and uncini do provide important characters for serpulid taxonomy, many existing
descriptions, especially the early ones, were published with very sketchy line-drawings of chaetal structures
made under a compound light microscope. These illustrations often do not provide adequate details of chaetal
ultrastructure, and even can give a wrong impression when compared with images done with scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) (ten Hove & Jansen-Jacobs 1984: 147; compare for instance Fauvel 1927 fig.
121q with Breton & Vincent 1999 fig. 10). Therefore, chaetae and uncini of at least one representative of the
genus were re-examined with SEM, enabling to catch the dentition of uncini in a dental formula, see glossary.
Note that SEM photographs of many currently known serpulids have never been published before. Existing
descriptions of two monotypic genera, Chitinopomoides and Paumotella, were that incomplete that full
redescriptions of their type-species have been included.
Authors’ names and year of publication for valid serpulid taxa can be found in the Table of Contents and
in the relevant sections and lists of species. For the remaining taxa, this information is given with their first
occurrence in the text.
The material examined for this review is deposited in the following museums:
BMNH collection number of the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom, formerly the
British Museum of Natural History
DIZMSU Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
HUJ the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Biological Collections, Israel
LACM-AHF Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Allan Hancock Foundation, California,
USA
MCZ Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
NHMW Natural History Museum Vienna, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria
QM Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
RMNH collection number of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, Leiden, the
Netherlands, formerly the Rijks Museum voor Natuurlijke Historie
SAM South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
SIO RAS Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
USNM collection number of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH),
Washington, formerly United States National Museum
ZMA Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
ZMH Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Germany.
6 · Zootaxa 2036 © 2009 Magnolia Press
TEN HOVE & KUPRIYANOVA