Brania c lavata — Imajima, 1966:393, fig. la-g. 

 Brania clavata — Gardiner, 1976:130, fig. 10 1-n. 



MATERIAL EXAMINED: 

 Gulf of Mexico BLM-OCS: 



STOCS UR1-6 11/76 (3 spec, USNM 75213), SB3-1 S/76 (1 spec, USNM 

 6566?.). 

 DESCRIPTION: 



Length, to 1.4 mm (previously reported to 4 mm); width, to 0.2 mm 

 (previously reported to 0.5 mm). Body small, slender; complete speci- 

 mens with up to 29 setigers. Prostomium oval, with four small, lenti- 

 gerous eyes on posterior half and two ocular spots near base of palps 

 (Figure 30-10a). Median and lateral antennae fusiform, equal in size. 

 Palps short, fused dorsally over nearly entire length. Tentacular and 

 dorsal cirri onion-shaped to subulate. Dorsal tentacular cirri twice 

 length of ventral ones. Dorsal cirri present on all setigers; first 

 dorsal cirri slightly larger than following ones. Ventral cirri digiti- 

 forra, shorter than parapodia. Anal cirri long, cirriform. Superior 

 simple seta slender, bidentate (Figure 30-10b), first present from seti- 

 gers 2-4. Composite falcigers with finely serrate bidentate blades 

 (Figure 30-10c,d), blade-length ratio about 2:1. Inferior simple seta 

 bidentate (Figure 30-10e), present on posterior setigers. Pharynx with 

 dorsal tooth located near anterior margin. Proventricle extending from 

 setigers 2 to 5-6, with 15-18 muscle cell rows. Gametes present from 

 setiger 12. 



REMARKS: 3. clavata is reported only from western Gulf BLM-OCS samples; 

 specimens examined from the eastern Gulf are referred to Brania sp. A. 

 PREVIOUSLY REPORTED HABITAT: Low water to 30 m; on mud flats, stones, 

 shells, mussel beds, algae, pilings, sponges, hydroids, tunicates, bryo- 

 zoans; in salt ponds; sexual forms occur in surface waters. 

 GULF OF MEXICO BLM-OCS OCCURRENCE: Several stations in western Gulf off 

 central Texas (Figure 30-9); 75-131 m; silty clay. 



DISTRIBUTION: N. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Africa, 

 Mediterranean, Yellow Sea, Japan, Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea. 



Brania sp. A 



Figures 30-11, 12a-e 



MATERIAL EXAMINED; 

 Gulf of Mexico BLM-OCS: 



S0FLA 2SE-11/80 (3 spec, USNM 75275); MAFLA 2211B-7/76 (1 spec), 

 2211J-7/76 (1 spec, USNM 65668), 2422F-7/76 (1 spec), 2528C-2/78 (2 

 spec), 2533A-2/73 (1 spec). 

 DESCRIPTION: 



Length, to 6.0 mm; width, to 0.3 mm. Body small, thread-like; complete 

 specimens with up to 32 setigers. Prostomium oval, with four eyes in 

 nearly straight line near posterior border (Figure 30-12a) and two 

 ocular spots near base of palps. Antennae fusiform, median antenna 

 inserted between eyes. Palps short, fused over nearly entire length. 

 Nuchal organs as paired, slender lobes along posterolateral margins of 

 prostomium. Tentacular cirri fusiform to digitiform. Dorsal cirri 

 digitiform to cirriform, with glandular region at tip; present on all 

 setigers. Ventral cirri digitiform, about two-thirds length of para- 

 podia. Anal cirri paired, short, ovoid (Figure 30-12b). Composite 



30-19 



