Skip to main content

Ruff sea scaleworm (Sthenolepis ruffi) and solitary sea scaleworm (Neoleanira solitaria) from 3000 meters sea depth

Ruff sea scaleworm (Sthenolepis ruffi) and solitary sea scaleworm (Neoleanira solitaria) from 3000 meters sea depth

NEWS - Two marine scaleworms (Sthenolepis, Sigalionidae) from depths of 2350–3221 meters off the coast of Northern California collected as part of a long-term monitoring survey at the San Francisco Deep-Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site and a baseline study by the US Navy off the coast of Northern California are new species.

Ruff sea scaleworm (Sthenolepis ruffi) has long palps and tentacular cirri, an upper group of neurochaetae with long blades, and a lower group of neurochaetae with non-canaliculate blades. Solitary sea scaleworm (Neoleanira solitaria) stands out among members of the genus by having simple fusiform supracicular neurochaetae in the posterior segments.

S. fimbriarum (Hartman, 1939) and S. spargens (Fauchald, 1972) are found in the Gulf of California, but the two can be easily distinguished by the size of the median antennae and auricles, the type of neurochaetae, and the elytra. S. ruffi is eyeless, has smaller auricles, long median antennae, smooth elytra without fimbriae on the edges and canaliculate blades.

S. ruffin is more closely related to S. spargens, both are eyeless and have small auricles and canaliculate blades. However, S. ruffin has long palps up to 12 segments and short tentacular cirri, five times longer than the tentacular parapodia. S. ruffi and S. spargens have been found at depths of 2350-3400 m, while S. fimbriarum at 18.2 m.

Ruffin is named after the late Robert Eugene Ruff in recognition of his many efforts in deep-sea exploration and collection of marine invertebrates, especially polychaetes. He also performed the first identification of these specimens. The species name is a noun in the genitive case.

In the Eastern Pacific, only two species are N. racemosa (Fauchald, 1972) and N. areolata (McIntosh, 1885). Both are similar to N. solitaria, in having small auricles, long median antennae and rounded boot-shaped ventral ctenidia. However, they differ in the length of the appendages of the first anterior segment, the shape of the branchiae and the type of neurochaetae.

N. solitaria differs from N. areolata in having the dorsal cirri of segment 3 longer, ¼ longer than those in N. areolata. The main feature that distinguishes N. areolata from N. solitaria and from the rest of the Neoleanira is the presence of spur-like processes at the base of the branchiae of the median and posterior regions.

N. solitaria differs from N. racemosa in having longer median and lateral antennae, and longer dorsal cirri of segment 3. N. solitaria has a longer anterior appendage, median and lateral antennae are ¼ longer than those of N. racemosa and regarding the dorsal cirri of segment 3, N. solitaria is twice as long as those of N. racemosa.

Solitaria is a Latin singular feminine adjective meaning 'solitary' or 'alone'. The only specimen of N. solitaria was found after much sampling in an area where other sigalionid species are found. The name also refers to the presence of a solitary fusiform chaeta in the neuropodia of the posterior segment, a characteristic that makes this species unique.

Original research

Christopher Cruz-Gómez & James A. Blake (2024). Description of new species of deep water Sthenolepis Willey, 1905 and NeoleaniraPettibone, 1970 (Annelida, Sigalionidae) from off Northern California, with the redescription of Sthenolepis spargens Fauchald, 1972. Zootaxa 5507 (2): 224–244, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5507.2.2

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Indian shot (Canna indica)

Puspa midra or Indian shot ( Canna indica ) is is plant species in Cannaceae, annual, shrub 0.5-2.5 meters high, depending on variety, erect stems, unbranched and leaf midrib arranged overlapping to form pseudostems and hermaphrodite flowers. C. indica forms a branched rhizome, 60 cm long which is divided into rounded segments and is covered in two stripes by pale green or purple scaly leaves. The rhizome has tubers that contain very large starch grains. The surface has transverse furrows, the underside appears white roots and numerous shoots. The leaves sit alternate and spiral or arranged in two rows, very large and divided into a leaf midrib, short stalk and blade. The strands are 30-60 cm long, 10-20 cm wide and have linear veins, green or purple-green, the base blunt or narrowly pointed and the apex immediately tapering or sharp. Hermaphrodite flowers, pedicels 0.2-1 cm long and red or yellow-orange, except in some cultivars 4.5-7.5 cm long. The sepals are triangular in shape a...
Read more

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Guinea grass or buffalo grass or green panic ( Panicum maximum ) is a plant species in Poaceae, annual grasses, growing upright to form clumps, strong, cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions for very high value as fodder. P. maximum reproduces in very large pols, fibrous roots penetrate into the soil, upright stems, green, 1-1.5 m tall and have smooth cavities for diameters up to 2.5 mm. Propagation is done vegetatively and generatively. Ribbon-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, very many, built in lines, green, 40-105 cm long, 10-30 mm wide, erect, branched, a white linear bone, often covered with a layer of white wax, rough surface by hair short, dense and spread. The flower grows at the end of a long and upright stalk, open with the main axis length to more than 25 cm and the length of the bunches down to 20 cm. Grains have a size of 3x4 mm and oval. Seeds have a length of 2.25-2.50 mm and each 1 kg contains 1.2 - 1.5 million seeds. Guinea grass has two varieties. P...
Read more

Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)

Sonokeling or Java palisandre or Indian rosewood ( Dalbergia latifolia ) is a species of plant in the Fabaceae, a large tree producing hardwood, medium weight and high quality, rounded leaves, thin and broad pods, highly adaptive, grows in dry and rocky landscapes with lots of sunlight. D. latifolia has medium to large size, cylindrical stems, up to 40 m high with a ring of up to 2 m, the bark is brownish gray and slightly cracked longitudinally. The crown is dense, dome-shaped and sheds leaves. The leaves are compound and pinnate oddly with 5-7 strands that have different sizes and appear alternately on the shaft. The leaves are round or elongated in width or heart, the upper surface is green and the surface is pale green. The flowers are small, 0.5-1 cm long and clustered in panicles. The pods are green to brown when ripe and are elongated lanceolate, pointed at the base and tip. The pods have 1-4 seeds which are soft and brownish. Indian rosewood grows at elevations below 600 m,...
Read more