First record of Glycerella magellanica (Polychaeta: Glyceridae) for the South Atlantic and in association with Solenosmilia variabilis (Anthozoa: Caryophyllidae)

Abstract

The species of Glycerella share a prostomium with four rings bearing four distal appendages, and proboscis with rod-like aileron. They also have the first two parapodia uniramous, while the following are biramous, with dorsal and ventral cirri; the notopodia bear simple capillaries chaetae. The neuropodia are provided in the upper part with compound spinigerous chaetae while those in the lower part are falcigerous. Glycerella magellanica has been reported in the south-west Indian Ocean, south and north-west Pacific Ocean, and north and central Atlantic Ocean. Herein, the first record of this species is reported in the south-west Atlantic, specifically off the north-east coast of Rio de Janeiro, in the Campos Basin. A single specimen of this species was collected during the ECOPROF project coordinated by CENPES/PETROBRAS, although this species has been recorded elsewhere in muddy sediments. In this study the specimen was collected in a dead fragment of the coral Solenosmilia variabilis, at 745 m depth. Morphologically the specimen is very similar to that used in the original description. However, some morphological differences were found related to the appearance of the compound chaetae and aileron. These differences may indicate either that in the original description these features were overlooked, or rather a case of intra-specific variation.