Ampharetinae Malmgren, 1866
Ampharete Malmgren, 1866
Ampharete sp.1
Voucher. LOLIGO station: L3FB
Diagnosis. Voucher specimen is the only example of this species collected; specimen complete (branchial styles missing), small but robust species with enlarged thorax, tapering posteriorly, 5.5mm long and 0.6mm wide; colour in alcohol pale yellow. Thorax composed of paleae bearing segment and 14 thoracic chaetigers, of which 12 uncinigers; abdomen with 13 uncinigers. Prostomium trilobed, with large square-shaped middle lobe delimited by incision from lateral lobes, without glandular ridges or eyes. Buccal tentacles papillose. Paleae present; few (often broken off), long (reaching the anterior margin of prostomium), stout, narrowing rapidly into very long thing tips; yellow in colour. Four pairs of branchiae (all styles missing); 3 pairs of branchiae arranged in transverse line, separated by wide median gap, 4th pair shifted posteriorly, tightly attached between 2nd outermost and innermost branchiae of transverse row. Notopodia with limbate capillary notochaetae. Thoracic uncini with 6 teeth in 2 vertical rows over basal prow and rostral tooth; thoracic uncini of the last two thoracic unciniger resembling those of abdomen. Abdominal uncini small, with several rows of small teeth. First 5 abdominal uncinigers with dorsal cirri, cirrus of 1st AU small globular, of AUs 2-5 distinct, digiform. Pygidium with several irregular small lobes and a pair of prominent, medium length lateral cirri.
Remarks. Genus Ampharete sensu Jirkov (2001, 2009, 2011) includes species with or without paleae, with four pairs of smooth branchiae, papillose buccal tentacles, 13/14 thoracic chaetigers (excluding paleae) provided with notochaetae and 11/12 thoracic uncinigers. Species most similar to FI specimen (4 pairs of branchiae, paleae bearing segment plus 14 thoracic chaetigers, of which 12 uncinigers and 13 abdominal uncinigers) are relatively few in this otherwise species rich genus and none are known from the geographical area considered here. This group contains boreal species A. finmarchica and A. acutifrons (Atlantic and Pacific forms likely represent different species; see Hilbig in Blake et al. 1996) which both possess rudimental notopodia in anterior abdominal segments and A. finmarchica also lacks gap between the branchial groups. In FI species rudimental notopodia are absent, but distinct globular to digiform dorsal cirrus is present in neuropodia of AU 1-5. The commonly reported Southern Ocean species Ampharete kerguelensis has branchiae inserted all in 1 row, rather than in 3 + 1 arrangement and has only 12 abdominal uncinigers. Ampharete labrops from shallow waters of California is also similar, but its upper lip has a band of eyespots. Falkland Island specimens likely represent a new species, but greater number of specimens is desirable in order to provide a full description of this species.