Corresponding authors: Beatriz Yáñez-Rivera (
Academic editor: Sarah Faulwetter
The islands and islets of Bahía de Chamela, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, were declared as the first marine sanctuary in Mexico and has been protected since 2002. Their marine biodiversity has been documented in a series of papers in the last decade, but only three species of polychaete worms have been reported.
Sixteen species of sedentary polychaete worms belonging to the families
The islands and islets of Bahía de Chamela, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, were declared as the first marine sanctuary in Mexico and has been protected since 2002 (
The marine biodiversity of Bahía de Chamela has been documented in a series of papers in the last decade: macroinvertebrates (
Polychaetes are segmented worms belonging to the phylum
The material reported in this paper was collected between April 2009 and June 2013 in Bahía de Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico (Fig.
Observations and body measurements were undertaken with a Leica MZ75 stereomicroscope or an Olympus CH30 high power microscope. Photographs were taken with an attached Canon EOS Rebel T7i digital camera. Methyl green and Shirlastain-A were used for improving the contrast of surface features and analysis of the main morphological features.
The new species description is based on the holotype, with variation of paratypes as indicated in parenthesis. Except for the new species here described, descriptions are presented in a broad sense in order that any interested people can follow the identification keys with accuracy. In the nomenclature and taxon discussion sections, systematic contributions are included for those people who require a deeper analysis.
The following taxonomic keys were used:
Samples were deposited in the following collections: Colección Biológica del Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos y Acuicultura, Universidad de Guadalajara, México (LEMA), Colección Poliquetológica from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México (UANL) and Colección Regional de Invertebrados Marinos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICML–EMU).
Preserved holotype complete, with body pale without any distinctive pigmentation pattern (Fig.
A worm of 32 mm length, 1 mm width, with 14 chaetigers, two pre-anal achaetous segments with tori, manubriavicular uncini present from chaetiger 1 with 3–4 teeth above the main fang without barbules; manubriavicular uncini similar to that of chaetiger 1, but the number of barbules increases towards the most posterior segments. Cephalic plaque oval with entire, smooth margins; rounded palpode; nuchal organs straight, parallel, almost full length of plaque. No ocelli, no segmental collars. Anal funnel present with 28 distinct alternating triangular cirri: short and long (twice longer than short ones) and with the mid-ventral cirrus longest (about twice the length of the adjacent long). Chaetiger 8 glandular shield extending anteriorly and ventrally from notochaetal fascicle forming a half-oval.
From the Latin
The specimens, here reviewed, match with the emendation of
Amongst the nine valid taxa of
lateral margins of the cephalic plaque are entire,
does not present prostomial ocelli,
it has a marked dentition of uncini in first thoracic chaetiger and
it has two preanal achaetous segments (cephalic plaque notched laterally, prostomial eyes present, reduced or reminiscent dentition of uncini in first thoracic chaetiger and three pre-anal achaetous segments in
The rest of the species in the genus were described from high north European latitudes and the Northern Pacific region: Novaya Zemlya (one species), Japan (three species), Norway (one species), the Laptev Sea (one species), except for
Referring to intraspecific variation, a paratype was found under regeneration of the anterior end of the body (Fig.
Entire worms with 14–18 segments, 12–14 mm length, 0.4–0.7 mm width, tentacular crown 0.4–0.7 mm length. Prostomium with a short tentacular crown consisting of 8–12 basal branched trunks (Fig.
Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (
Described with ocular spots (
Incomplete worms 6–36 mm long, 0.5–1.4 mm wide and +12 segments. Cephalic plaque oval with lateral margins notched (Fig.
Originally described from Taboga (Pacific coast of Panama) to 7–9 m depth in sand at low tide (
Gregarious worms commonly known as “honey comb worms”. Tubes constructed with sea shells fragments, echinoderm spines debris, sand and small gravel. Complete specimens 13–29 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, with 22–31 abdominal chaetigers and a caudal peduncle 3–5 mm long. Body divided into four specialised regions: operculum, parathorax (with three segments), abdomen and caudal region (Fig.
Detailed description and illustrations are available in
Gregarious worms commonly known as “honey comb worms”. Tubes constructed with sea shells fragments, echinoderm spines debris, sand and small gravel (as well as
This constitutes the fist record since its establishment by
This species was described from Bahía Tenacatita, west of the islets off Barra de Navidad, between 45.7 and 64 m depth. A second species from Western Mexico is
Gregarious worms commonly known as “honey comb worms” (as well as
Found in colony mixed with
Complete specimens 10–19 mm long, 0.8–1.3 mm wide with 8 thoracic chaetigers and 42–61 abdominal chaetigers. Radiolar crown with 13–16 pairs of radioles. Radioles with subdistal eyes in most radioles, spherical. Those from dorsal-most radioles are the largest (Fig.
Widely reported in the Gulf of California and Nayarit (
Body 13–34 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, radiolar crown 6–17 mm long with 13–29 pairs of radioles, thorax with 13 chaetigers and abdomen with 46–82 chaetigers. Gregarious species (Fig.
This is the only fan worm that has been included in the invertebrate guides from the Gulf of California (
Body 15 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, radiolar crown 3.2 mm long with 12 pairs of radioles, thorax with eight chaetigers and abdomen with 30 chaetigers. Solitary fan worm from soft bottoms. Branchial crown cone-shaped when it is open. Radioles united by a long palmate membrane that occupies 3/4 of their length (Fig.
One specimen was found regenerating a radiolar crown. This species has been reported in the Pacific coast of Panama and some localities from Mexican Pacific (
Solitary fan worm associated with dead coral and rocks. Body length 11–14 mm, width 0.9–1.1 mm. Radiolar crown length 3–3.4 mm with 8–10 pairs of radioles. Thorax with eight chaetigers and abdomen with 60–67 chaetigers. Radioles with short bands of radiolar ocelli (Fig.
This is the first formal record in Mexico.
Solitary fan worm with soft tubes, composed of fine sand and covered by algae and bryozoans. Body length 14–26 mm, 1.5–2.3 mm width. Radiolar crown length 6–10 mm with 12–14 pairs of radioles. Thorax with eight chaetigers and abdomen with 63–67 chaetigers. Radioles with brownish maculae (no eyes or ocelli) along radiolar length (Fig.
Members of
Gregarious fan worms. Soft, thin and flexible tubes composed of fine sand. Body length 12–18 mm, 1 mm width. Radiolar crown 9–12 mm long with 8 pairs of radioles. Thorax with eight chaetigers and abdomen with 59–62 chaetigers. Base of branchial crown purple (Fig.
At first view,
Body 8–10 mm long, 0.8–1 mm wide. Radiolar crown length 1.5–1.7 mm with 8–10 pairs of radioles. Thorax with seven chaetigers and abdomen with 61–64 segments. Verticil with 8-12 yellow to dark brown spines unequal in size (Fig.
Gregarious worm with tubes white, thin, with transversal ridges, lacking longitudinal ridges, peristomes or alveoli (D). Radiolar crown with 3–4 pairs of radioles (Fig.
Widely reported in the Mexican Pacific (
Body 4.2 mm long, 0.5 mm wide. Thorax with seven chaetigers and abdomen +5 (incomplete specimen). Opercular peduncle with thin distal wings. Operculum hoof-shaped, calcareous, white and dark spots basally on each side and anterior dark (Fig.
Widely reported along the Mexican Pacific (
Tube with a prominent longitudinal ridge and a robust spine extending over the tube mouth (Fig.
Widely distributed in Mexican Pacific (
It is notable that the most important inventories of some of the main marine taxonomic groups in the Bay have been carried out in the last 10 years, since 2009, so that the present study provides a first approach to the polychaete tubeworm worms of Bahía de Chamela, including a new record for Mexico and the establishment of a new taxon. Lack of knowledge of
Amongst the families here reported, maldanids, also known as bamboo worms, are discretely mobile, deposit feeders, inhabiting usually soft sediments (
Oweniids, although mostly tubicolous, are considered discretely mobile because they can extend and move their tubes within sediment. These worms are primarily surface deposit feeders, but some species with tentacular crowns also suspension feed (
Sabellariids, also known as honeycomb, sand-castle or sand-mason worms, usually build their tubes either attached to hard substrata or to other sabellariid tubes, in some cases forming massive reefs, but some species are solitary (
Sabellids, known as feather-duster worms, fan worms or sea flowers, are sessile, tube builders. They inhabit tubes that they build with secreted mucus and attached mud or sand particles, except
In the Mexican Pacific coast, several species of introduced polychaete worms of
This study was supported by the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad grant (CONABIO Project JF023). Thanks are given to Irving Ramírez for their help in collecting and processing material. Sergio I. Salazar-Vallejo (ECOSUR, México) provided literature and advice for maldanids and Rolando Bastida-Zavala (UMAR, México) confirmed the identity of
Neither mentioned in Verrill (1900, page 654-655) and Read (2011, page 44).
Ehlers (1887, page 23, plate 46, fig. 13) described and illustrated a thoracic uncini with four marked teeth, but there is no indication if it corresponds to the first segment. Later, Verrill (1900, page 654) described uncini from the first chaetiger with a marked dentition. Read (2011, pages 44) codified this feature as “n” (not reduced)
Study area with location of sampling sites and the presence of tubicolous polychaetes.
Occurrence record of tubicolous worms (
Infraclass | Family | Genus | Species | Taxonomic author | Voucher | Site 7 | Site 14 | Site 15 | Site 16 |
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Tovar-Hernández and Yáñez-Rivera, 2020 | LEMA-PO153, UANL 8144, ICML-EMU 12758 | 1 | 1 | ||
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LEMA-PO154 | 1 | |||
Incerta sedis |
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LEMA-PO155 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO156, PO157 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO158 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO159 | 1 | ||||
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LEMA-PO160, PO161 | 1 | 1 | ||
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LEMA-PO162 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO163, PO164 | 1 | 1 | ||
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LEMA-PO165, PO166 | 1 | 1 | ||
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LEMA-PO167 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO168 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO169, PO170, PO171 | 1 | 1 | ||
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LEMA-PO172 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO173 | 1 | |||
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LEMA-PO174 | 1 |
Main features of some
Species | Prostomial eyes | Cephalic plate | Dentition of uncini in first thoracic chaetiger | Pre-anal achaetous segments | Cirri of anal plaque | Distribution |
? |
Notched laterally | Marked * |
1 | four long cirri | Tropical North-western Atlantic | |
Present | Notched lateral and dorsally | Reduced | 3 | 20 short cirri and a long mid-ventral cirrus | Cold Temperate Northeast Pacific | |
Absent | Notched laterally | Marked | 2 | 16 short cirri and mid-ventral cirri longest | Southern New Zealand | |
Absent | Entire | Marked | 2 | 28 alternating short and long cirri and a long mid-ventral cirrus | Tropical East Pacific |