1893.
1894.
1895.
1897.
1903.
1906.
1914.
1917.
Sabella adspersa, Lo Bianco; Atti E. Accack So. Nap., veil, v, No. 11, p. 64, Tav. iii, fig. 8
(tube).
„ octocirrata,
Sabellides „
Bidenkap. Christ. Yet.-Akad. Forhandl., p. 121.
Fauvel. Mém. Soc. Nat. Cherbourg, t. xxix (3® sér., t. ix), p. 346.
Simla. Bull. Acad. Imp. St. Petersb., 5« sér., t. vii, p. 15 (foot-note).
Michaelsen. Polych. deutsch. Meere., p. 166.
Norman. Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. xii, p. 283.
var.mediterranea, De St. Joseph. Ann. Sc. nat., 9« sér., t. iii, p. 234,
pi. v, figs. 104 and 105.
» » McIntosh. Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol. xiii, p. 101.
» ,, Rioja. Annel. Poliq. Cantab., p. 44.
» » Hessle. Zool. Bidr. Uppsala, No. 5, p. 113.
Habitat.—Dredged in St. Magnus Bay, Shetland (Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys, 1867). This
form was dredged off Valentia by Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys in 501® 60 fathoms in 1870; also
off the Hebrides; dredged in Loch Portan, Lochmaddy, August, 1872, the loch being
more or less mixed with fresh water, or at least brackish (W. C. M§.,
The typical form is found in Norway (Sars, Ratlike); Sweden (Malm); Mediterranean
(Grube, Marion|gvar. mediterranea, Saint Raphael (De St. Joseplg Caspian
Sea (O. Grimm1) ; Pinmark (Norman).
The Hebridean example is small and presents anteriorly a bluntly conical snout
from which the tentacles have been removed, but in the Irish specimen they are provided
with long and proportionally thick papillae or " cilia,” which, however, are devoid of a
central axis. The tip in the preparation has a “ hairy ” aspect as if from numerous
palpocils, as in S. borealis (Plate CXVIII, fig. 11). Moreover, the papillae extend nearly
to the extremity, only a short granular portion projecting beyond them. The size Of
these papillae seems to be a feature of the species. From the dorsal surface of the third
segment eight somewhat stiff branchiae project forward. They are proportionally longer
than in Sabellides borealis, and more finely tapered.
The body (Plate CXXXVIII, fig. 2) is small and slender, a little more than half an inch
in length, scarcely tapered anteriorly, with the exception of the short cone of the snout, and
very gently tapered posteriorly till near the tip, when more rapid diminution occurs to the.
vent, on each side of which is a slender cirrus. So far as can be observed fourteen bristled
segments occur anteriorly, distinguished by the absence of the long firms which is present
m the sixteen posterior segments. The bristles are short and translucent, with slightly
curved, winged and tapering tips, and they are borne on a prominent setigerous process.
The anterior hooks have a rounded crown, the curve smoothly running into the convex
dorsal (or posterior) outline, and the four teeth are characteristic, that next the crown
being the largest, and the second, third and fourth regularly diminishing. The prow
curves rather far forward and the tip is somewhat small.
The posterior hooks are prominently situated on the edges of the fillets and are free
distally, a space separating the one from the other. They are very minute, and differ
from the anterior in the sinuous curve of the crown and the slightly broader prow They
have, however, only W teeth as in front. The figure of the hooks in the
1 ‘ Ann. Nat. Hist./ February, 1876.
var.
mediterranea of De St. Joseph unfortunately is so indistinct that little can be said about
them, except that they have four teeth in lateral view, a single row occurring in the
thoracic forms and a treble row in the abdominal.
The tube is a slender one to suit the small size of the species, is coated with fine
mud and lined by secretion. In all probability the same species inhabited small hair-like
tubes, composed of fragments of sand and spines of Ampliidotus, procured in the stomach
of a haddock at St. Andrews (E. M.).
Reproduction.—The example is a male with its body-cavity crowded with nearly ripe
sperms (August). De St. Joseph (1906) found ova in the thorax, abdomen and feet, but
the date is not indicated.
S. adsp'ersa, Grube, has been entered under this species with a query. It is very
closely allied.
A variety which was formerly described under the title of S. malmgreni deserves
special notice were it only for its habitat. In this the cephalic region corresponds with
the type. Body slender, elongated, having the normal number of the anterior segments
with prominent setigerous processes bearing bristles with straight shafts and slightly
winged tips. Segments -of the posterior region with a subulate cirrus, and the lamellas
with the tori near the tail are longer. The terminal segment bears two filiform cirri.
Hooks with a truncate posterior outline and four teeth on the anterior edge, diminishing
from above downward. The posterior edge is nearly straight dorsally, but curves
inferiorly to the prow, which forms a short, slightly variable process. Posterior hooks
have a broader posterior edge which makes a larger angle with the outline of the base
(for the edge slopes downward and backward), but they have the same number of teeth,
and the prow is similar. Tube of secretion and fine mud.
Habitat.-—Loch Portan, Lochmaddy, North Uist, a loch into which a considerable
amount of fresh water mingles with the salt. The. same form was dredged by Dr. Gwyn
Jeffreys off Valentia, Ireland, in 50—160 fathoms. A single example was procured,
measuring about half an inch in spirit. The tentacles were absent, and only three bran chi 33
remained. The body is slender, elongated, with the normal number of the anterior
bristle-bearing segments, the setigerous processes being prominent and the bristles
retracted (the specimen having been removed from its tube). It is little tapered in front
but gently diminishes towards the tail. The translucent bristles (Plate CXXIV, fig. 7)
have straight shafts and slightly winged tips. The segments of the posterior region have
a subulate cirrus apd the tori near the tail are longer. The terminal segment bears two
filiform cirri.
The anterior hooks (Plate CXXIV, fig. 7 a) have a truncate posterior outline
and four teeth on the anterior edge diminishing from above downward. The posterior
edge is nearly straight dorsally, but curves inferiorly to the prow, which forms
a short process. The posterior hooks have a somewhat broader posterior edge, which
makes a larger angle with the basal outline (for the edge slopes downward and
backward), but they have the same number of teeth and the prow is similar. The slope
of the posterior margin brings its angle with the dorsal outline toward the middle of
the hook.
The flexible tube of secretion and fine mud is cylindrical.