CHAPTER 29 



Paul S. Wolf 

 FAMILY PILARGIDAE Saint Joseph, 1899 



INTRODUCTION 



Pilargids are elongate worms with numerous segments. The body may 

 be dorsoventrally flattened, as in Sigambr a , Ancistrosyllis , Otopsis , 

 and Pilargis , or cylindrical as in Li tocorsa , Synelmis , Cabira , 

 Parandalia , and Loandalia . Within the former group, species have a 

 papillose or smooth integument. In the latter group, the integument is 

 smooth or perhaps areolated, but never papillose. 



The prostomium bears a pair of large biarticulate palps that are 

 usually not fused anteriorly or ventrally. Each palp consists of a 

 basal palpophore and distal palpostyle. The palpophores are fused 

 basally to and located anteroventrally on the prostomium except in 

 Li tocorsa Pearson, 1970, where the palps are completely fused to the 

 prostomium dorsally. The prostomium bears up to three antennae, ranging 

 in size from minute, as in Li tocorsa sp. A, to quite long and filiform 

 as in Sigambra bassi (Hartman, 1945). In some species, particularly 

 members of Ancistrosyllis , the lateral antennae arise rather far forward 

 above the palps. 



The prostomium is fused to an achaetous tentacular segment which 

 normally bears two pairs of tentacular cirri. 



The parapodia usually have dorsal and ventral cirri equal in 

 length, or the ventral cirri may be much shorter. The cicri range from 

 small and knob-like, as in Cabira , to rather long and filiform, as in 

 Sigambra and Pilargis. The parapodia are subbiramous, with the notopo- 

 dium reduced to one or two internal acicula and sometimes a large emer- 

 gent spine. When present, the spine is either strongly curved, as in 

 Ancistrosyllis and Sigambra , or straight, as in Litocorsa and Synelmis . 

 The neuropodium is supported by a single aciculum and bears simple 

 neurosetae. Furcate setae and spines occur among the neurosetae of some 

 species of Litocorsa and Synelmis. 



The pygidium normally bears a terminal anus and a pair of anal 

 cirri, but may form a plaque as in Parandalia americana Hartman, 1947b. 



The proboscis is eversible, sac-like, and smooth or papillose, 

 sometimes with rows of chitinized papillae. 



The Pilargidae have undergone several revisions since the familial 

 characters were well-defined by Hartman (1947b). Pettibone (1966), 

 Pearson (1970), and Emerson and Fauchald (1971) presented comprehensive 

 keys to the genera based on new material and redefinitions of previous 

 treatments. Britaev and Saphronova (1981) treated the genera Sigambra 

 and Cabira , and revised the latter. Fauchald (1977a:77) listed ten 

 valid genera for the family, including about 48 species. Seven genera 

 are found in Gulf of Mexico BLM-OCS material, comprising 20 species, of 

 which eight are probably new to science and two are questionable as- 

 signments. 



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