A Review of the Genus Eunice - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 523 45
and 49. In addition to E. aedificatrix, only E. aequabilis among
the species listed in Table 49 has ornamented aciculae. In E.
aedificatrix, both pointed aciculae and hammer-headed aciculae
are present; in E. aequabilis the aciculae are either distally
knobbed or nearly bidentate. In addition, the latter has
tridentate appendages in the compound falcigers; the appendages
arc bidentate in E. aedificatrix.
Eunice aenea Blanchard, 1849
Eunice aenea Blanchard, 1849:19-20.
Marphysa aenea.—Augcner, 1922c:196; 1923:65.—Hartman. 1944:128.
REMARKS.—Eunice aenea was referred to the genus Marphysa
by Augener (1922c: 196, see also Augener, 1923:65),
who redescribed the species; additional descriptive detail was
added by Hartman (1944:128). There is nothing in Blanchard's
original description to indicate that this synonymy is in error
and it is here accepted.
3. Eunice aequabilis Grube, 1878
FIOURE 5; TABLES 46,49
Eunice aequabilis Gmbc, 1878a:102.—Fauchald. 1986:242-243, figs. 1-8.
MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Syntypes, MPW 273, Zool. Mus.
Wroclaw, and ZMB 3993, Cape York, Australia, coll. Salmin
(the label for the Berlin specimen gives Grube as collector).
DESCRIPTION.—Wroclaw syntype complete with 158 setigers;
total length 175 mm; maximum width 7 mm at setiger 15.
Length through setiger 10, 16 mm; width at setiger 10, 6 mm.
Berlin syntype complete with 151 setigers; 183 mm long. Both
syntypes of unknown sex and maturity. Anal cirri long, slender,
with 6 articulations.
Prostomium (Figure 5a) distinctly shorter and narrower than
peristomium, as deep as x li of the peristomium. Prostomium
about 2 /3 as wide as peristomium. Prostomial lobes frontally
obliquely truncate, dorsally flattened; median sulcus shallow.
Eyes absent. Antennae in a horseshoe; A-I separated from other
antennae by distinct gap, similar in thickness. Ceratophores
ring-shaped, without articulations. Ceratostyles slender, tapering,
with up to 12 cylindrical articulations in A-I I and III. A-I
to posterior end of anterior peristomial ring; A-I I and III to
setiger 3. Peristomium cylindrical; peristomial fold entire;
lower lip entire, not distinctly set off from the rest of the
peristomium. Separation between peristomial rings distinct
dorsally and ventrally; anterior ring s /6 of total peristomial
length. Peristomial cirri to front edge of peristomium, slender
and tapering, with 5 articulations.
Maxillary formula of Berlin syntype 1+1,6+5,8+0, 5+4, and
1+1. Mx III long, located behind left Mx II. Mx VI missing.
Branchiae present from setiger 6 to end. All branchiae
strongly pectinate (Figure 5b); first branchia with 13 filaments;
maximum 17 filaments at setiger 20; number decreasing slowly
posteriorly, never less than 12 filaments present. Median region
with reduced branchiae absent. Stems tapering. Most filaments
filiform, about 2 /3 as long as stems, shorter than notopodial
cirri. Branchiae longer than notopodial cirri.
Neuropodial acicular lobes distally obliquely truncate.
Pre-and postsetal lobes low transverse to oblique folds. First 3
ventral cirri tapering, thereafter basally inflated. Inflated bases
ovate; long tapering tips present in all setigers, decreasing from
about setiger 30. Posterior ventral cirri tapering. Notopodial
cirri long, basally inflated, as long as branchial stem in most
setigers, without articulations.
Limbate setae longer than compound hooks, marginally
frayed, brittle. Pectinate setae (Figure 5h) narrow, tapering, flat.
Both marginal teeth longer than other teeth, with about 12
teeth. Shafts of compound hooks (Figure 5e) inflated, with
distal beaks, marginally smooth. All appendages short, tridentate.
Primary fangs by far largest, triangular, directed laterally.
Secondary fangs narrowly triangular, directed obliquely distally.
Tertiary fangs very small rounded. Fangs decreasing
evenly in size distally. Guards short, narrow, distally symmetrically
rounded, marginally serrated, without mucros. Pseudocompound
hooks and compound spinigers absent. Aciculae
yellow, paired; superior aciculae flattened; inferior ones with
round cross-section, without distinct segregation of core and
sheath. Superior aciculae laterally distally expanded into
rounded tabs; inferior aciculae (Figure 5f,g) bidentate; proximal
teeth larger than distal teeth; both directed obliquely
distally. Subacicular hooks (Figure 5c,d) yellow, tridentate.
First present from setiger 26 in Wroclaw syntype and from
setiger 32 in Berlin syntype, thereafter present in all setigers,
always single. Hooks straight, tapering. Primary fangs separated
from other fangs by a wide gap, tapering, directed
laterally or slightly basally. Secondary fangs and tertiary fangs
on joint bases. Secondary fangs tapering, directed laterally.
Tertiary fangs slender, tapering, directed obliquely distally.
UNKNOWN MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES.—Structure of
pygidium; relation between Mx III and IV.
EXPECTED STATES OF SELECTED UNKNOWN FEATURES.—
Left Mx IV about as long as right Mx IV and curved only
distally.
CHARACTERS USED IN PREPARATION OF KEY NOT
SCORED.—Inappropriate Characters: 14, 56, 58-59. Unknown
Characters: None.
ASSUMED STATES FOR PURPOSE OF PREPARING KEY.—
None.
REMARKS.—Eunice aequabilis belongs to the same group as
E. antennata, from which appears to differ in that the branchiae
retain the high number of branchial filaments in all setigers, and
that the articulations of the long antennae are cylindrical, rather
than moniliform. It is listed with similar species in Tables 46
and 49. It was discussed in relation to E. aedificatrix above.
The species apparently has remained unrecorded until
Fauchald (1986) redescribed the types in a study of Australian
eunicids.