Description of Mooreonuphis bidentata a new species of Onuphidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the Mexican Caribbean with remarks on the distribution of the genus

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013-06, Vol.93 (4), p.981-990
• Main Authors: Rupit-Arteaga, Samantha Karina, Hernández-Alcántara, Pablo, Solís-Weiss, Vivianne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Annelida; Annelida and closely related phyla: sipuncula. Echiura. Nemertinea; Bidentata; Biological and medical sciences; Cirrata; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Global positioning systems; GPS; Invertebrates; Marine; Mooreonuphis; Onuphidae; Polychaeta; Sea water ecosystems; Synecology; Tropical environments
• ISSN: 0025-3154; 1469-7769
• DOI: 10.1017/S0025315412001543

Mooreonuphis bidentata, a new species of onuphid polychaete, is newly described from the Mexican Caribbean. It was found in dead coral rocks at depths of 2.2 m and can be distinguished from its congeners by having simple filaments branchiae from chaetigers 19–24, as well as bi- and tridentate pseudocompound falcigers and large median simple tridentate hooded hooks in the first four chaetigers. Including M. bidentata sp. nov., the genus Mooreonuphis includes 19 species, which have been exclusively collected on the American coasts, mainly in tropical and temperate waters. From the Caribbean Sea, six species have been recorded. Of these, M. bidentata sp. nov, M. cirrata, M. dangrigae and M. intermedia are the only species having their locus typicus in this tropical region. A taxonomic key is presented for all the species of Mooreonuphis recorded from both sides of the American seas.