Pseudochitinopoma capensis Day 1961
Creators: name: Kupriyanova, Elena K.
name: Ten, Harry A.
name: Nishi, Ejiroh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Polychaeta
Sabellida
Serpulidae
Pseudochitinopoma
Pseudochitinopoma capensis

description: Pseudochitinopoma capensis (Day, 1961)
(Fig. 6 A–G)
Ficopomatus capensis Day, 1961: 552, fig. 17 h-n; 1967: 810–812, fig. 38.5 j-n; Marska 2004: 37.? Chitinopoma capensis – ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009: 32.
Material studied. South Africa, Agulhas Bank, 34°24'S, 21°46'E, 18 m, dredge, UCT Ecological Survey, South Coast Dredging SCD 18, 14 February 1960, det. J.H. Day [manuscript name Ovopomatus capensis, see Marska (2004)] (IMCT 20901, Holotype).
Scale: A, B—10 µm, C, D— 1 mm, E, F—0.5 mm, G, H—10 µm.
Description. TUBE: white, about 2.2 mm wide, with lumen of about 0.8 mm (Fig. 6 C–D). Triangular in crosssection, without wide flaring collar-like rings, attached throughout its length. Smooth medial keel present, lateral surfaces either rugose or corroded. Outer hyaline granular layer present.
BRANCHIAE: each lobe with six radioles, arranged in semicircles to pectinately, not connected by interradiolar membrane. Pinnules increasing in length distally, about 18 pairs; terminal filament projecting beyond pinnules for 0.1 mm only. Section of radiole subtriangular. Mouth structures, prostomial and branchial eyes not observed.
PEDUNCLE: smooth, almost circular in cross-section, inserted near medial line. Gradual transition between peduncle and operculum, with only a hint of a constriction.
OPERCULUM: globular ampulla with a distal elongated convex endplate (Fig. 6 E–F). This distal cup chitinous, with faint longitudinal grooves, without internal partitions. Length of the operculum (ampulla + cap) about 1.5 mm, chitinous cap 1 mm, width 0.7 mm.
COLLAR AND THORACIC MEMBRANES: collar low, with laciniate edge, probably artifact of preservation in tube; continuous with thoracic membranes, ending at chaetiger 3.
THORAX: with collar chaetiger, and six uncinigerous chaetigers. Collar chaetae of two types: fin-and-blade (basal fin with 3–5 stout teeth at base of serrated blade, Fig. 6 G) and limbate. Subsequent chaetae limbate, of two sizes. Capillaries exceptionally small, 1/5th–1/10 th the size of the limbate ones. Apomatus -chaetae absent. Uncini along entire thorax saw-shaped, with 10 curved teeth above gouged, apparently bifurcated (likely gouged) peg (dental formula P:1:1:1:1:1:1:1:1:1:1, Fig. 6 H). Thoracic tori of similar size along thorax, triangular depression absent.
ABDOMEN: abdominal chaetigers 70. Uncini not very well known, examination by SEM (Fig. 6 A) was only partially successful. Mid-abdominal uncini rasp-shaped, dental formulae P:3:2:1:2:2:?:?:::, P:3:1:2:2:2:?:?::::, P:3:2:2:1:?:?:::: to saw-shaped apically (all apices obscured by epidermal fold and represented by:?:?:::: in the formulae), with flat peg, gouged underneath, and about 10 teeth. Chaetae trumpet-shaped, hollow, bordered with two rows of teeth, narrow and smoothly bent (Fig. 6 B). Capillary chaetae absent posteriorly. Pygidium bilobed.
SIZE: length up to 14 mm. Width of thorax 0.6 mm. Branchiae and operculum 4 mm long.
COLOUR: no records.
Remarks. According to ten Hove & Weerdenburg (1978: 101), this taxon does not belong in Ficopomatus, but rather in Chitinopoma, Chitinopomoides, or Pseudochitinopoma. Ten Hove & Kupriyanova (2009: 32) tentatively placed it in Chitinopoma. The actual material could not be located at the time, it only was re-found very recently (February 2011) in the collections of the Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town. Being common practice, Day removed a number of chaetigers from one side of the animal to enable his description: collar chaetae, about thoracic segments 3–5, and some abdominal chaetigers. Unfortunately, most of the other thoracic chaetae were broken too, but a total mount in glycerin of the animal did not reveal Apomatus chaetae in the posterior thoracic chaetigers. We may safely assume that they are absent. The above re-description, especially characteristic collar chaetae, hollow narrowly geniculate (true trumpet-shaped) abdominal chaetae and saw-shaped thoracic uncini with broad gouged peg, places this taxon clearly in the genus Pseudochitinopoma. The description agrees with those given by Day (1961: 552–553; 1967: 810–812) except for minor meristic differences: six pairs of radioles (Day mentioned seven), 70 abdominal chaetigers (Day: 64), 10 uncinal teeth (Day: 8).
Distribution. South Africa.
Reproduction. Unknown.
description: Published as part of Kupriyanova, Elena K., Ten, Harry A. & Nishi, Ejiroh, 2012, A taxonomic revision of Pseudochitinopoma Zibrowius, 1969 (Annelida, Serpulidae) with description of two new species, pp. 57-78 in Zootaxa 3507 on pages 66-68, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.210475