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Zatsepinia rittichae gen. & sp.n. (Polychaeta, Ampharetidae) from the Norwegian and Barents seas

I. A. Jirkov

Department of Hydrobiology, Biological Faculty

Moscow State University

[Translated by I. Jirkov from the original published 1986 in: Zool. Zh., 65, 2:289-291 (in Russian, with English summary).]

During the processing of specimens collected in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea by expeditions on the 'Sevastopol' in 1957-1959 and the 'Tunets' in 1978 a new ampharetid genus was discovered.

Zatsepinia Jirkov, gen. N.

Diagnosis. Prostomium alobate, without glandular fields, ridges and eyes. Buccal tentacles pinnate (?). No paleae. Two pairs of cirriform branchiae in a single line separated medially by a wide interval. 12 thoracic setigerous segments (TSS), the last 10 of which have. transverse ridge.

Type species: Zatsepinia rittichae sp. n.

Remarks. Generally acknowledged to be the main generic taxonomic characters of the Ampharetinae (Day, 1964; Fauchald, 1977) are: 1) the structure of the prostomiun (the presence or absence of glandular ridges and fields and the number of lobes; 2) the number of branchiae; 3) the presence or absence of pinnation on the buccal tentacles; 4) the presence or absence of paleae; 5) number of TSS; 6) the presence or absence of modified notopodia.

Of the ampharetid genera having a simple prostomium (without glandular ridges and lobes) and no paleae, only two - Melinnoides Renham, 1927 and Auchenoplax Ehlers, 1887 - have 2 pairs of branchiae and 12 TSS, the last 10 of which bear neuropodia. They both have displaced ventral neuropodia on the first TSS and have no modified notopodia on the thorax.

Etymology. The genus is named after Vladimir Ivanovich Zatsepin who investigated the benthos and polychaetes of the northern seas of the USSR.

Zatsepinia rittichae Jirkov, sp. n.

Material. Collections of L.A. Rittikh: E/V Sevastopol', station 1585 (1 specimen) - 7116.4'N, 2536.2 'E, 315 m, bottom temperature 4.27C; station 2585 (3 specimens) - 6149'N, 521'W, 175 m, 8.84C, collections of author: E/V Tunets, station ll (1 specimen, holotype, cut in two between abdominal setigerous segments III and IV) - 71'10'N, 17'00'E, 345-357 m, 4.16C. The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Zoological museum of the University of Moscow (No. 301 Pl), the remaining specimens are to be found in the collection of the General Ecology and Hydrobiology Department of the University.

Description. Prostomium alobate, without glandular fields, ridges and eyes (Figure, a) buccal tentacles pinnate (?). No paleae. Two pairs of cirriform branchiae in a single line separated medially by a gap. 12 TSS, the last 10 of which have neuropodia. Notopodia of 11th TSS displaced medially and joined by a transverse ridge (Figure á) 17 abdominal setigerous segments without cirri and rudimentary notopodia. Pygidium without cirri, with numerous anal papillae. Notosetae uniform on 11th TSS (Figure â) and remaining ones (Figure ã). Neurosetae (Figure ä) with 4 teeth in 2 rows in a staggered arrangement. Length without branchiae up to 8.5 mm, width up to 0.5 mm. Tube muddy, fairly frail, cylindrical, long, thin-walled, without concentric transverse structur.e and virtually unencrusted.

Etymology. Species named in honor of Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Rittikh who studied the benthos of the northern seas of the USSR.

Figure. Zatsepinia rittichae

Zatsepinia Figures

[Literature cited not included. Please see original text]


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Last edit 18 May 1997.