Odontosyllis Claparede 1863
Creators: name: Verdes, Aida
name: Pleijel, Fredrik
name: Aguado, Teresa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Polychaeta
Phyllodocida
Syllidae
Odontosyllis

description: Genus Odontosyllis Claparède, 1863
Odontosyllis Claparède, 1863: 47
? Eurymedusa Kinberg, 1865: 249
Parautolytus Ehlers, 1900: 213
Alluaudella Gravier, 1905: 372
? Atelesyllis Pruvot, 1930: 39
Pharyngeovalvata Day, 1951: 26
Odontoautolytus Hartmann-Schröder, 1979: 112? Synpalposyllis Hartmann-Schröder, 1983: 132 Umbellisyllis Sars, 1869: 254
Type species. Odontosyllis fulgurans (Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1833)
Diagnosis (modified from San Martín & Hutchings 2006). Adult size variable, 5–10 mm long, with numerous segments, dorsally convex and flattened ventrally. Prostomium with four eyes and, occasionally, a pair of anterior eyespots. Three antennae. Palps broad, separated for almost all their length, basally fused. First segment usually reduced dorsally; two pairs of tentacular cirri. Occipital flap present, usually well developed, covering first segment dorsally and posterior part of prostomium. Nuchal organs as two ciliated grooves between prostomium and first segment, sometimes extending to lateral areas of prostomium. Dorsal cirri elongated, smooth, distally tapered, but sometimes short or indistinctly articulated. Parapodia usually with pre- and postchaetal lobes. Ventral cirri digitiform to pillow-shaped. Compound chaetae heterogomph, usually with distally spinose shafts. Dorsal and sometimes ventral simple chaetae present on some parapodia. Pharynx short, distinctly shorter than proventricle, provided with few teeth directed backwards and two lateral plates; pharynx when not everted situated posterior to first chaetiger. Proventricle usually long, wide and massive. Pygidium with two anal cirri.Reproduction by epigamy; epigamic specimens sometimes strongly modified and bioluminescent (San Martín & Hutchings, 2006).
Remarks. Unlike San Martín & Hutchings (2006), we follow Rouse & Pleijel (2001) and Pleijel (2001) for interpretation of Odontosyllis anterior appendages. These authors suggested that the two first pairs of cirri appendages in Syllidae may be named in accordance with other taxa in Phyllodocida. The interpretation of these appendages becomes crucial for homology statements with other families and thereby for our understanding of the position of the group. San Martín & Hutchings (2006) synonymised several genera with Odontosyllis that previously were poorly known with regard to the structure of the pharynx. They also suggested that Eurymedusa Kinberg, 1865, Atelesyllis Pruvot, 1930, and Synpalposyllis Hartmann-Schröder, 1983, may be synonymous with Odontosyllis, although they could not obtain relevant information from the types since they either had been lost, or were in too poor condition. Alluaudella Gravier, 1905 was considered synonymous with Odontosyllis by Aguado & San Martín (2008).
description: Published as part of Verdes, Aida, Pleijel, Fredrik & Aguado, Teresa, 2011, A new species of Odontosyllis Claparède, 1863 (Annelida, Syllidae) with re-descriptions of O. liniata Hartmann-Schröder, 1962 and O. gymnocephala Hartmann-Schröder, 1965, pp. 27-38 in Zootaxa 3095 on page 29, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.201246