Protomystides? sp. 2
Eteoninae Bergström, 1914
Protomystides Czerniavsky, 1882
Protomystides? sp. 2
Voucher. VINSON WEST: station 38MFB.
Diagnosis. Small, but robust species; voucher specimen complete, 1.2mm long and 0.7mm wide (including parapodia) for 12 segments; preserved specimen dark yellow in colour, prostomium with reddish pigment, dorsal cirri lightly and ventral cirri more strongly pigmented.
Prostomium round; eyes absent; with 2 pairs of prostomial appendages: pair of antenna of bottle- shaped form and pair of cirriform palps. Proboscis not observed.
Four pairs of tentacular cirri in 1+2+1 arrangement (cirri of segment 1, dorsal and ventral cirri of segment 2, and dorsal cirri of segment 3), all of similar length (with ventral cirrus of segment 2 shortest), approaching bottle-shaped form (enlarged basally, with long, slender tips). Dorsal cirri large, oval, inflated, lightly pigmented. Ventral cirri similar to dorsal cirri, but smaller, strongly pigmented. Neuropodia conical, chaetigerous lobes, of similar length; with one acicula and around 12 chaetae per fascicle. Chaetae compound spinigers, with unidentate blades of similar length; chaetal rostrum with a series of small serrations. Pygidium not clearly observed, damaged.
Remarks. With quite large and very inflated dorsal (and to lesser extent ventral) cirri; with 4 pairs of tentacular cirri, no eyes, this species is consistent with genus Protomystides, although this species is more robust than other species in this genus, which tend to be more slender. Specimen is a very short anterior fragment of only 12 segments, but otherwise in good condition (although dorsal and ventral cirri are easily detached when handling the specimen).
