9. H armothoë lunülata, Belle Ghiaje, 1841.
Specific Characters.—The head approaches that of Harmothoë marphysæ, only it is
less elongated and the eyes are larger. The tentacles and tentacular cirri are brownish ;
palpi smooth. Body, about three quarters of an inch long; ventrally, with a series of
brown spots, which, as a rule, commence as four rows somewhat behind the middle.
Occasionally by union they form bars at the junction of each segment. A prominent
segmental eminence and papilla. Scales fifteen pairs, smooth round the margin, but
with a dense cluster of minute horny papillæ on an area in front of the scar. Brown
pigment variously arranged—some having a ring of brown or a V-shaped pattern on the
scale, while the outline of the pigment in others has the shape of the shell of Pandora.
Dorsal bristles are better developed than in H. marphysæ, being long, tapering, slightly
curved, and finely spinous. The ventral bristles, again, form a fan, and the tips of
almost all have a secondary process. The dorsal cirri are cbmparatively short tapering
organs, with sparsely distributed short clavate cilia. The ventral cirri have similar cilia,
and are slender, their tips reaching beyond the base of the nearest bristles.
S tnonyms.
1841. Polynoë lunulata, Delle Chiaje. Descriz. e not., vol. v, p. 57, pi. cxliv, f. 5, 6.
1865. „ maculosa, Carrington. Proceed. Lit. and Phil. Soc., Manchest., iv, p. 177.
1867. Monocolea tessellata, Costa. Ann. d. Mus. Zool. d. v. TTniv. d. Napoli, i, p. 82.
1868. Polynoë lunulata, Claparède. Annél. Chét., Naples, p. 63, pi. ii, figTl.
1875. ,, ,, Panceri. Atti R. Accad. Napoli, vol. vii, p. 13, Tav., L I—3. ~
,, Harmothoë lunulata, McIntosh. Invert, and Fish., St. A., p. .116.
1876. ,, „ idem. Tr. Z. S., vol. ix, p. 385, pi. Ixix, f. 16—20.
1884. Polynoë lunulata, V. Carus. Faun. Medit., i, 200.
1886. Harmothoë lunulata, Harvey Gibson. Term. Liverp., 148.
1891. Polynoë (Harmothoë) lunulata, Horriell. Op. cit., p. 236,
Habitat.—Very generally distributed throughout British waters—from Shetland to
the Channel Islands, and from the west coast of Ireland to the east coast of Scotland.
I t ranges from the tidal rocks in the Channel Islands to 120 fathoms off the south-west
coast of Ireland. I t extends to the Mediterranean.
Head (Plate XXVII, fig. 8) resembles that of H. marphysæ, only it is less- elongated
and the eyes larger. The median tentacle is brownish, has a filiform tip and sparsely
distributed clavate cilia. The lateral tentacles are subulate, with a filiform tip and
clavate cilia. The tentacular cirri have the same form as the median tentacle, and also
the same brownish colour. The palpi are smooth.
Body about three quarters of an inch in length, slightly tapered anteriorly, and
much more so posteriorly. The chief feature of moment is the presence, in the majority,
of a series of brown spots, which commence as four rows somewhat behind the middle.
In some the sets are united so as to form two rows of bars at the junction of each
segment ; and this confluence sometimes occurs posteriorly even when the four rows are
distinct in front. The segmental eminence is well marked, and a small cylindrical
papilla projects between the feet.
' Scales (Plate XXXII, fig. 12)|^kFifteen pairs, somewhat thin, and entirely covering
the dorsum. The first pair are rounded with a broad transverse bar of brown pigment
in front. The succeeding are reniform, and the posterior more or less ovoid. They are
finely veined, and as smooth under a lens as in H. marphysse, but show a dense group of
horny papillse in front of the scar, that is, near the hollow of the reniform kinds. The
coloration of these scales is varied. Thus some of the Zetlandic examples are faintly
tinged with brown toward the posterior border; in others each scale has a brownish
ring, or the brown pigment forms a bold border on the inner third, and sends a process,
in some cases enlarged near the termination, toward the centre of the scale, so as to
simulate a V. The spot or enlargement is at the scar. In the forms from St. Andrews
the pigment assumes the shape of the shell of Pandora, with a spot (over the peduncle)
corresponding to the hinge anteriorly. , 'The colours are for the most part retained after
immersion in spirit. The persistent attachment of the scales is not a feature characteristic
of the Zetlandic forms, for they readily fall off.
Feet.—The first foot has the usual spine and a few bristles resembling the dorsal.
The dorsal division of the second foot bears a larger group of bristles than in
H. marphysse, with similar fine rows of spines, and the bristles are generally larger and
stouter. The* ventral series are fairly developed, the upper and lower with simple, the
median with distinctly bifid tips, though’ the secondary process is slender.
In the third foot both dorsal and ventral bristles are longer and approach more
nearly to the typical-forms. They are also more numerous.
In the typical foot (Plate XXX, fig. 4) the dorsal division is more developed than in
H. marphysse, and the bristles attain a size never seen in that species, though it has to
be borne, in mind that the environment may have considerable influence in modifying
these and other parts. They are long, tapering, slightly curved, and finely spinous
bristles (Plate XXXIX, fig. 12, in profile, and Plate XXXIX, fig. 13, antero-posteriorly,
so as to show the alternate disposition of the spines, both representing the longer and
more tapering forms next the ventral). Some, however, are even more finely tapered
than the forms shown. The spines proceed almost to the tip, a mere trace of a terminal
smooth portion being present. Those next the body are much shorter and less tapered
(Plate XXXIX, fig. 14). Parasitic infusoria and slender algse are common on these
bristles. The ventral division of the foot is somewhat less elongated than in
H. marphysse, and the bristles form a more regular fan. Superiorly the spinous region is
longer, and the tips more finely tapered (Plate XXXIX, fig. 15) ; the secondary process,
which appears to be present in all at this edge, being very closely applied to the larger
division, which is scarcely hooked. In a variety from Guernsey some of these bristles
have simple tips. The fissure between the divisions becomes more evident as the
spinous region diminishes in length, but it again is less distinct ventrally, some at the
extreme verge having a mere trace of this process. A bristle from the middle of the
ventral group is drawn in Plate XXXIX, fig. 16. Their colour throughout is very pale
yellow. Microscopic filamentous algas occur on them.
The dorsal cirri are rather short, tapering organs, with scarcely .a trace of an
enlargement below the filiform tip, and the short clavate papillas are sparsely distributed.
The ventral cirri’are .comparatively slender, and, the .tips reach considerably
45