Genus Branchiosyllis Ehlers, 1887 



TYPE SPECIES: Branchiosyllis oculata Ehlers, 1887. 



REFERENCE: 



Fauchald, 1977a:81. 



DIAGNOSIS: Prostomium with three antennae. Two pairs of tentacular 



cirri. Antennae, tentacular and dorsal cirri articled. Parapodia with 



slender, digitiform pre- and postsetal lobes; with or without accessory 



branchial lobes. Some or all setae with claw— like blades. 



REMARKS: Hartmann-Schrbder (1978:60) presented a table comparing six 



species of Branchiosyllis. 



Key to the Gulf of Mexico BLM-OCS Species of Branchiosyllis 



la. Setae consisting of bidentate falcigers (Figure 30-100c) and claw- 

 like falcigers (Figure 30-100e,f); accessory branchial lobes ab- 

 sent; body cylindrical Branchiosyllis exilis, p. 30-105 



lb. Setae consisting entirely of claw-like falcigers (Figure 30- 

 102c, d); accessory branchial lobes present (Figure 30-102b); body 

 usually flattened Branchiosyllis oculata, p. 30-107 



Branchiosyllis exilis (Gravier, 1900) 

 Figures 30-99, lOOa-f 



Syllis ( Typosyllis) exilis Gravier, 1900:160, pi. 10, fig. 19. 

 Syllis ( Typosyllis ) fuscosuturata Augener, 1922:43. 

 Branchiosyllis exilis — Westheide, 1974:60, fig. 26A-H. 

 Branchiosyllis exilis — Hartmann-Schrbder, 1978:57, figs. 15-20. 

 Branchiosyllis exilis — Uebelacker, 1982b:583. 



MATERIAL EXAMINED: 



Gulf of Mexico BLM-OCS: 



SOFLA 4B-5/81 (1 spec, USNM 75273); MAFLA 2211C-7/76 (3 spec), 2211H- 



7/76 (4 spec), 22111-7/76 (1 spec), 2423D-2/78 (1 spec), 2528-11/77 



(2 spec, USNM 55818), 2854E-8/77 (13 spec). 



Supplementary Material: 



Florida — Tortugas, S. W. Channel, H. Augener ID. (syntypes of Syllis 



fuscosuturata , MNHUB 6598, 2 spec); Tampa Bay, IEC 723 TB 001-013, 



27°37.1'N, 82°59.7'W, 15 m, off sponge (1 spec). 



Georgia — Sapelo Whistle, 21 m, M. Pettibone ID. (1 spec, USNM 33167). 



DESCRIPTION: 



Length, to 19.0 mm (previously reported to 19 mm); width, to 1.3 mm 



(previously reported to 0.8 mm). Body long, cylindrical; complete 



specimens with up to 77 setigers. Prostomium oval, with four small, 



lentigerous eyes, and two small ocular spots at base of palps (Figure 



30-100a). Median antenna arising between eyes, having 10-24 articles; 



lateral antennae arising from anterior margin of prostomium, having 12- 



15 articles. Palps thick, rounded, free to base. Nuchal organs as 



slender ridees in groove between prostomium and peristomium. Tentacular 



and dorsal cirri moderately long; dorsal tentacular cirri with 20-27 



articles, ventral ones with 8-13 articles. Anterior dorsal cirri with 



10-50 articles, medial ones with 7-54 articles, number of articles 



increasing with size of specimen; every fo- rth article usually 



30-105 



