Description of a new species of Armandia (Polychaeta: Opheliidae) from western Kyushu, Japan, with character variations

Abstract

Armandia amakusaensis sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Opheliidae) is described from an intertidal sandflat in western Kyushu, Japan. The holotype measures 13.14 mm in total body length, and has 32 setigers, with branchiae on setigers 2–31. Eleven pairs of lateral eyes are present on setigers 7–17. The anal funnel opens dorsally, fringed with 11 papillae, its length being slightly shorter than the length of the last three setigers. A long unpaired cirrus originates mid-ventrally from the inside of the anal funnel. Variation in these diagnostic characters is described. The new species is most similar to A. leptocirris (Grube, 1878) and A. intermedia Fauvel, 1902. However, it is distinguished from A. leptocirris in the distribution patterns of the branchiae and the lateral eyes, and from A. intermedia in the distribution pattern of the lateral eyes, the ratio of anal funnel length to total body length, and the number of anal-funnel papillae.

Keywords:

• Polychaeta Opheliidae Armandia Amakusaensis Sp. Nov Western Kyushu Japan Character Variation