Thelepus wuchiensis Hsueh & Li, 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hsueh, Pan-Wen
name: Li, Kuo-Rong
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Polychaeta
Terebellida
Terebellidae
Thelepus
Thelepus wuchiensis

description: Thelepus wuchiensis sp. nov.   
Fig. 3 A–M  
 Material examined. Holotype (NMNS 7743 - 2), Wuchi fishing port (24°17´36˝N, 120°31´11˝E), Taichung City, Taiwan, on clusters of sessile biota, including algae, sea anemones, barnacles, ectoproctans, bivalves, solitary tunicates, and sponges attached to the boat docks, 20 April 2015; paratypes, two specimens (NMNS7743 - 3), collection date, location and habitat information same as holotype.   
 Description. Holotype incomplete, missing posterior end; live specimen beige, preserved body greyish to beige in alcohol, without distinct patterns of pigmentation (Fig. 3 A–B); body length 101 mm with 47 segments remaining, maximum width 8.5 mm on segment 21; paratypes incomplete, all missing posterior end.   
Prostomium at base of upper lip; buccal tentacles elongate with medium groove (Fig. 3 A–B), arising along the distal part of prostomium (Fig. 3 C); eyespots absent (Fig. 3 D). Peristomium forming lips and continuing dorsally; anterior ventrum slightly glandular and corrugated (Fig. 3 D).  
Lateral lobes absent. Three pairs of branchiae, on segment 2 to 4, filaments thin and moderately elongate, mostly not exceeding four body segments (Fig. 3 B), strongly curled in preserved condition (Fig. 3 B, E–H); first pair of branchiae arising from swollen glandular ridges prior to first pair of notopodia, oblique arranged in bands with distal end ventral to first pair of notopodia (Fig. 3 F); second pair branchiae arising from swollen glandular ridges prior to second notopodia, oblique arranged in bands with lower end reaching slightly ventral than second pair of notopodia, third pair branchiae arising from swollen glandular ridges prior to third notopodia, oblique arranged in bands with lower end dorsal than third pair of notopodia (Fig. 3 G); wide medial gap present between each paired branchiae, with widest gap between third pair branchiae, surface smooth (Fig. 3 G); all three pairs of branchiae with more than 35 filaments on each side; anterior dorsum surface slight corrugated (Fig. 3 G).  
Notopodia present from segment 3 to near posterior end of the body; pairs progressively placed more dorsal until segment 3, then aligned latero-dorsally. Anterior notopodia trapezoidal, with distinct glandular pre-and postchaetal lobes, notochaetae emerging from between the lobes (Fig. 3 H), becoming triangular in middle segments, gradually less glandular than anterior ones, trapezoid in posterior segments; notopodia similar in size on anterior to middle segments and slightly smaller on posterior segments. Notochaetae with two rows of winged chaetae throughout (Fig. 3 I), anterior row slightly shorter than those from posterior row, tapering to tips, posterior notopodia with fewer chaetae than anterior ones (Fig. 3 I–K).  
Neuropodia present from segment 5 to near posterior end of the body, glandular and rectangular; neuropodia gradually wider in width up to segment 11 (Fig. 3 H, J), then all similar in width from segment 11 to 29 (Fig. 3 K), becoming gradually narrower afterward, narrowest on segment 47. Lateral body surface between neuropodia corrugated form segment 5 to 36 (Fig. 3 B, K), becoming smooth from segment 37 to 47. Uncini arranged in straight row throughout, with small pointed prow and slightly upturned terminal button (Fig. 3 L–M), dental formula MF:2~4 with mostly MF:2.  
Nephridial papillae present, on segment 4 to 7 of left side of body (Fig. 3 H), segment 4 to 6 of right side of body (Fig. 3 J). Pygidium unknown.  
 Etymology. The name is derived from the name of the fishing port where the worm was collected.   
 Type locality. Wuchi fishing port, Taichung, Taiwan.   
 Distribution. Only known from the type locality.   
 Remarks. Of 18 Thelepus previously reported from the East and Southeast Asia, only T. japonicus and T. robustus have more than 30 branchial filaments on each side of each pair as in T. wuchiensis sp. nov. (Hsueh & Li 2016: 519, Table 1; present study). However, both species differ from T. wuchiensis sp. nov. by having eyespots (vs. no eyespots) and uncini with two rows of secondary teeth (vs. one row) (Hsueh & Li 2016: 519, Table 1; present study).
description: Published as part of Hsueh, Pan-Wen & Li, Kuo-Rong, 2017, Additions of new species to Thelepus (Thelepodidae), with description of a new Terebellides (Trichobranchidae) from Taiwan, pp. 429-439 in Zootaxa 4244 (3) on page 433, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4244.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/432117