Syllids (Syllidae: Polychaeta) from Coiba National Park (Pacific of Panama).

Abstract

During a study carried out on soft bottoms from Coiba National Park (Panama), 218 specimens of syllids (Annelida: Polychaeta) belonging to 19 interstitial species have been identified. Two species are new reports for the Pacific Ocean, Exogone (Exogone) arenosa Perkins, 1981 and Streptosyllis websteri Southern, 1914; five are new for Panama, E. (E.) dispar (Webster, 1879); E. (E.) longicornis Westheide, 1974; Salvatoria mediodentata (Westheide, 1974); Pionosyllis heterocirrata (Hartmann-Schröder, 1959) and Syllis glarearia (Westheide, 1974). A characteristic not mentioned in the original description is herein reported for E. (E.) longicornis: the presence of triangular subterminal processes in the spiniger-like compound chaetae of chaetiger one. Specimens of the species Syllis botosaneanui Hartmann-Schröder, 1973 harboring inside embryos of various stages of development have been found; this is the first report for this species as viviparous. Lastly, one specimen of the genus Syllis has been found that is mainly characterized by its long pharynx, two dorsal prostomial lobes, and compound chaetae with short blades and long spinulation. Because we consider that one specimen is not sufficient to describe a new species we refer it as Syllis sp.