Gaudichaudius cimex (Quatrefages 1866)

Gaudichaudius cimex (Quatrefages, 1866)

Iphione cimex Quatrefages, 1865 [1866]: 270. [Not sensu Treadwell, 1920:591 (= Iphione muricata).]

Not Iphionella cimex.—McIntosh, 1885:58.—Horst, 1917:66.—Uschakov, 1982: 77 (= Iphionella philippinesis, new name).]

Gattyana deludens Fauvel, 1932:18, figs. 1, 2; 1939:259; 1953:39, figs. 15, 16.—Uschakov and Wu, 1959: 33, pl. 5: figs. D–G, pl. 6: figs. A.B; 1965:166, fig. 7A–F [1979 (translation):25, fig. 7A–F].—Srikrishnadhas and Ramamoorthi,

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Malacca Strait, M. Gaudichaud, collector, Holotype of Iphione cimex (MNHNP 1868.38a). Maungmagaun, Burma, G.E. Gates, collector, 1937, 1 specimen (BMNH 1937.1.4.3, as Gattyana deludens).

DESCRIPTION.—The body is elongate, uniform in width, much flattened, with the length up to 23 mm, width up to 7 mm with setae, and segments up to 38. The 15 pairs of elytra are firmly attached on bulbous elytrophores, deeply imbricated and cover the dorsum. The elytra are tough, yellow amber-colored, orbicular (first pair) and irregularly reniform with a deep or shallow anterior notch and with a short lateral fringe of cylindrical papillae (Figure 16G,H; Fauvel, 1932, fig. 1 a-e). The elytra are nearly covered with conspicuous close-fitting honey-combed polygonal areoles (without secondary areoles, as in Iphione), with some stomata-like rounded spots between some of the areoles and a large bare oval spot near the posterior border (erroneously referred to as the scar of attachment by Fauvel). The surfaces of some of the areoles are smooth, others are roughened due to broad depressions and swellings of the cuticle but without definite tubercles.

The prostomium is oval, bilobed, without distinct cephalic peaks, with 2 pairs of rather small eyes (Figure 16A,B, 17A; Fauvel, 1932, fig. la). The ceratophore of the median antenna is large, bulbous, inserted in the anterior notch of the prostomium, with a papillate style. The ceratophores of the lateral antennae are inserted ventrally, nearly hidden by the ceratophore of the median antenna and nearly meet midventrally, with short, tapered papillate styles. The palps are stout, tapered, and smooth. The tentaculophores of the first segment are lateral to the prostomium, each with a few (4–6) setae on the inner side and a pair of dorsal and ventral tentacular cirri, similar to the median antenna. The second or buccal segment has an inflated nuchal fold, large bulbous elytrophores of the first pair of elytra, biramous parapodia and long ventral buccal cirri, similar to the tentacular cirri and attached basally on the neuropodia lateral to the ventral mouth (Figure 16B).

The dorsal cirri with bulbous cirrophores are attached on the dorsoposterior bases of the notopodia, with long papillate styles extending to near the tips of the setae; the dorsal tubercles on the cirrigerous segments, in line with the elytrophores, are inflated and extend laterally as digitiform ciliated branchial extensions (Figures 16C, 17A-C; Fauvel, 1932, fig. 1G). The dorsum has two transverse ciliated bands extending between the elytrophores and the dorsal tubercles and two bands on the bases of the notopodia (Figure 17B).

The biramous parapodia have smaller conical notopodia with a projecting acicular process on the lower side, located on the anterodorsal sides of larger neuropodia; the latter have a conical presetal lobe extending into an acicular process with a small supraacicular digitiform extension and a shorter rounded postsetal lobe (Figures 16C,D, 17C,D; Fauvel, 1932, fig. 1g). The notosetae are numerous, white, with spinous rows; the upper few are shorter, slightly curved, with blunt entire tips; the remaining notosetae are slender, tapering to long capillary tips and extending to the tips of the neurosetae or beyond (Figures 16E, 17E; Fauvel, 1932, fig. 2a, b). The neurosetae are numerous, yellowish, with slightly enlarged spinous regions and curved or straight smooth entire tips; the upper neurosetae have longer and the lower ones have shorter spinous regions (Figures 16F, 17F; Fauvel, 1932, fig. 2c-h). The ventral cirri are short, tapering, papillate, attached on small cirrophores on the middle of the neuropodia (Figure 17C,D). The pygidium has a pair of long papillate anal cirri.