Galeolaria hystrix Morch 1863
Creators: name: Pillai, Gottfried
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Polychaeta
Sabellida
Serpulidae
Galeolaria
Galeolaria hystrix

description: Galeolaria hystrix Mørch, 1863
(Fig. 2 A–I)
Galeolaria hystrix Mørch, 1863: 370, plate XI, figs. 3–4. Ehlers, 1907: 29 –30; Dew 1959: 37, fig. 12; Straughan, 1967: 237; Hutchings 1982: 291, fig. 6.27D.
Galeolaria rosea (Quatrefages), Ehlers 1904:70
Vermilia rosea Quatrefages, 1865: Haswell1884: 19, pl. 32, figs. 2–5
Material examined: Two small specimens, Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia, BM (NH) 1959.10.19.20, coll., identified and presented by B. Dew; 1 specimen, Otago Harbour, New Zealand, BM (NH) 1907.5.1.55, coll. Prof. Benham; 1 very large specimen, Dunedin, New Zealand, BM (NH) 86.11.18.48, Hutton coll.
Description: Maximum tube diameter 2.0 mm in a juvenile specimen from Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia, 11.0 mm in the large specimen from Otago Harbour, New Zealand. They attain lengths of 4–5 cm (Hutchings, 1982: 291). Total length of worm from Otago Harbour: 34.5 mm. Of the two juvenile worms from Cronulla one has a total length of 4.0 mm, 13 branchial radioles on the left and 12 on the right, arranged in a circle on each side; its abdomen is 2.0 mm long and has about 36 segments. The second is 13.0 mm long, and has 20 branchial radioles arranged also in a circle on each side; its abdomen is 7.5 mm long and has about 76 segments.
Tube: Colour light pink in the small specimens from Cronulla, and pinkish orange in the specimen from Otago Harbour, New Zealand. All three of them bear a pair of longitudinal ridges and a wide longitudinal groove between them (Fig. 2A). Each longitudinal ridge of the large specimen ends in a pointed process over the aperture. While anterior processes of ridges are not yet developed in juveniles, they are foreshadowed in the forwardly directed sections seen along the ridges (Fig. 2A). Tube also described by Dew (1959: 37, fig. 12A).
Worm: Operculum inserted independently of branchial radioles of both sides; its peduncle winged (Fig. 2D). As seen in the specimen from New Zealand figured (2D) and in the large specimen from Dunedin, the massive peduncle arises from the anterior end of the thorax, well distanced from the branchial radioles of both sides, and, at a level between the first and second thoracic chaetigers. The number and arrangement of calcareous plates constituting the basal opercular plate is unlike that in G. c a e s p i t o s a. That of the Dunedin specimen (Fig. 2F) consists of several (9–10, perhaps up to a dozen) elongated, semi-rectangular plates in its anterior third, and a mosaic of several polygonal basal plates in the remaining two-thirds.
Remarks: The composition, structure and arrangement of the cluster of medial spines are different from those of G. caespitosa. As seen in the specimen from New Zealand, Fig. 2E, the central tapering spine occurring in G. c a e s p i t o s a is absent in G. hystrix. Furthermore, in the latter, they consist of two types of spines in a semicircular arrangement, an anterior series which are smooth forwardly directed spines and ending in antero-ventrally curved tips, and a posterior series, each of which bears 5–7 teeth along its posterior edge.
(The cluster of medial spines appears to have been accidentally lost during previous examinations of the specimen shown in Fig. 2F). See also illustrations by Mørch (1863: 370, plate XI, figs. 3–4) concerning opercular structure.
As in G. caespitosa, the palisade of short rod-shaped marginal calcareous processes is supported in a translucent rim along the edge of the opercular disc (Fig. 2A–F). They are relatively longer in juveniles (Figs 2A–B, E) than in G. caespitosa. The mid-dorsal process is however, is not differentiated from the rest as in G. caespitosa. Furthermore, the faecal groove does not take a course along the opercular peduncle (Figs 2C–E), unlike in G. c a e s p i t o s a.
In the very large specimen from Dunedin, New Zealand, the radioles are arranged in a semi-circle on each side and joined together by short interradiolar membranes. Specimens examined by Dew (1959: 37) had up to 17 pairs of radioles. Maximum number of radioles occurring in this species has yet to be determined. Interradiolar membranes present (Fig. 2C).
Thoracic membranes extend to end of thorax; apron present (Figs 2B–D).
Chaetae: Special collar chaetae (Fig. 2G) simple serrated blades. Abdominal chaetae possess long shafts projecting conspicuously beyond the body; commence from about the 4th or 5th abdominal segment in a juvenile specimen (Fig. 2B); commence more posteriorly in older specimens and possess long shafts protruding conspicuously beyond their body wall (Fig. 2C); their distal ends geniculate (Figs 2H–I). Thoracic uncini bear 5–6 teeth, and mid-abdominal uncini 6–7 teeth, in addition to the anterior gouged process. See also Dew (1959: 37, figs 12C–G) for description of chaetae.
Distribution: Australia and New Zealand
description: Published as part of Pillai, Gottfried, 2009, A revision of the genera Galeolaria and Pyrgopolon (Polychaeta: Serpulidae), with discussions on opercular insertion as a character in their taxonomy and relationships, and their zoogeography, pp. 47-58 in Zootaxa 2060 on pages 50-53, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.186800