Description of five new species of Exogoninae Rioja, 1925 (Polychaeta: Syllidae) associated with the stony coral Mussismilia hispida (Verrill, 1868) in Saõ Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

Coral heads of Mussismilia hispida were collected at two islands off the coast of Sa~o Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. Analysis of the syllids associated with these coral heads led to the identification of three new species of Sphaerosyllis: S. isabellae, S. brasiliensis and S. mussismiliaicola, and two of Grubeosyllis: G. breviarticulata and G. longiarticulata, descriptions of which are here presented. Sphaerosyllis isabellae n. sp. is characterized by bulbous antennae, and articulated tentacular and dorsal cirri, with an elongate proximal part and a retractile globular tip, palps densely papillated and blades of compound chaetae very short, nearly without dorsoventral gradation in length; S. brasiliensis n. sp. has a densely papillated body, small and clavate dorsal cirri, and antennae, and a strong dorsoventral gradation in size of the blades of compound chaetae; S. mussismiliaicola n. sp. is characterized by long dorsal cirri and compound chaetae, blades of which are minutely bidentate, with a long spine at the top of the proximal tooth. Grubeosyllis breviarticulata n. sp. is characterized by having long dorsal cirri and short-bladed compound chaetae, while G. longiarticulata n. sp. has compound chaetae with very long bidentate blades. The differences between these new species and those most similar in the two genera are discussed, and a key to all these species is given.

Keywords:

• Sphaerosyllis Grubeosyllis Syllidae Exogoninae Polychaeta Brazil