NEW RECORDS OF SCOLELEPIS (POLYCHAETA, SPIONIDAE) FROM THE SAND BEACHES OF MADAGASCAR, WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES
Eibye-Jacobsen, D.1 & Soares, A. G.2
1Zoologisk Museum, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
2Zoology Department, University of Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Three species of the genus Scolelepis (Polychaeta, Spionidae) are newly reported from Madagascar, each represented by at least 50 specimens. Scolelepis (Scolelepis) lefebvrei (Gravier, 1905), previously reported from the Red Sea and Japan, was found on a sand beach at Cap Est, NE Madagascar. Previous descriptions are supplemented by information on variation in numerical characters. S. (S.) williami (de Silva, 1961), previously known only from the original description of two specimens from Sri Lanka, was found on sand beaches near Fort Dauphin, SE Madagascar, and at Cap Est. This poorly known species is redescribed and compared to S. (S.) laciniata Eibye-Jacobsen, 1997, described from the west coast of Thailand. S. (S.) sp. n. is described from Fort Dauphin (type locality) and Cap Est. This species is unique among spionids in possessing one large, curved hook in the notopodia of setiger 4. Some specimens additionally have similar hooks on setiger 5 or on setigers 5 and 6, a phenomenon that appears to be size-related such that smaller animals are more likely to have additional hooks. S. (S.) sp. n. belongs to the group of species in the subgenus that has notosetae on the first setiger and notopodial hooded hooks on posterior setigers. Some posterior setigers have 1-2 hooks, similar to those on setiger 4, in the notopodia. Details on palp morphology are provided for all three species.