A review of the genera and species of the Scalibregmidae (Polychaeta) with descriptions of one new genus and three new species from Australia

Abstract

IntroductionThe Scalibregmidae are mud-dwelling polychaetes which are seldom taken in casual collecting and are rare even in intensive surveys. Only about 33 species are known, with 17 of these occurring below 1000 m. It is evident then that the family is well represented in the deep sea, with some genera and species known only from abyssal depths.Taxonomic reviews of the family are by Ashworth (1901), whose generic arrangement has generally been followed, and Furreg (1925). Chamberlin (1919) and Fauvel (1927) provide useful keys and Day (1967) reviews the important moqahological features and some of the taxonomic difficulties. There have, however, been no comprehensive summaries of the genera and species for 50 years. With the recent discoveries of numerous new species and genera from the deep sea by Hartman and others, a modern review of the family seems in order.The stimulus for this review was the discovery of four intertida] and shallow subtidal scalibregmid species from Victoria, Australia. These materials were collected as part of the Port Phi]lip Bay and Westernport Bay Environmental Surveys by the Marine Pollution Studies Group, Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Melbourne.The present paper includes a review of the characteristics which are used to categorize genera and the appropriate names which are available to go into those categories. One new genus is described and two others newly placed into synonymy. The valid species of Scalibregmidae are summarized with synonyms, distributions and bathymetric range. Three new species from Australasia are described; Hyboscolex dicranochaetus (Schmarda) is redescribed. Keys to the known Australasian and Hyboscolex species are presented.Specimens are deposited at the following institutions: Allan Hancock Foundation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles (AHF); Australian Museum, Sydney (AM); National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne (NMV); and the Queensland Museum (QM).

A revision of the deep-sea genus Axiokebuita Pocklington and Fournier, 1987 (Annelida: Scalibregmatidae)

“…Axiokebuita was placed by Pocklington and Fournier (1987) in group II of scalibregmatids as defined by Kudenov and Blake (1978), and characterised by the maggot-like body and incised prostomium. This group included also Polyphysia Quatrefages, 1865 (with branchiae) and Lipobranchus Cunningham & Ramage, 1888 (without branchiae).…”

LifeWatchGreece: Research infrastructure (ESFRI) for biodiversity data and data observatories

“…In some unpublished datasets from Greece, the name Lipobranchus jeffreysii (McIntosh, 1869) is used. Støp-Bowitz (1945) considers Lipobranchus jeffreysii, the type of Lipobranchius , to be the juvenile of Polyphysia crassa (see also Kudenov and Blake 1978). Nevertheless, Lipobranchus jeffreysii continues to be listed in some works as a valid species (e.g.…”

“…Reported from Greece by Fassari (1982). In the Mediterranean also known from Tunisia (Cantone et al 1978) and Italy (Castelli et al 2008), otherwise distributed in the Southern Hemisphere (Kudenov and Blake 1978). Its presence in the Mediterranean is considered doubtful by Arvanitidis (1994) and Simboura et al (2010).…”

“…Scalibregma inflatum, often considered cosmopolitan, actually comprises a number of very similar or sibling species (e.g. Kudenov and Blake 1978). In Europe, at least four species of Scalibregma are present (Mackie 1991).…”

“…Notes: Reported from Greece by Simboura (1996) as Polyphysia crassa (Ørsted, 1843) but belonging in fact to the Mediterranean subspecies Polyphysia crassa fauveli; Polyphysia crassa is restricted to northern Europe (Kudenov and Blake 1978). In some unpublished datasets from Greece, the name Lipobranchus jeffreysii (McIntosh, 1869) is used.…”