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Furthermore, based on past records of material identified 
as V. infundibulum (Philippi, 1844) from the Mediterranean 
to the Caribbean, Brazil, West and South Africa, Indian and 
Pacific Ocean by several authors, Zibrowius (1966: 376, 
1968: 123) considered its distribution to be cosmopolitan. 
According to other studies, however, most of those earlier 
records outside the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic 
have been misidentifications. 
It would, therefore, appear useful to compare what 
Monro (1930) identified as V. glandigera from the Gulf of 
Guinea with the Kimberleys material described above as 
V. glandigera in order to separate the two species that had 
been grouped together as the “ Vermiliopsis infundibulum / 
glandigera complex” or “group” in the Indo-West Pacific. 
An important character that had hitherto not been 
adequately recognized pertains to the peristomes occurring 
along the tube. They are considered here to be quite 
characteristic of V. infundibulum. Indeed, they are the only 
structures that could be recognized as being infundibular 
(funnel-shaped) and incorporated into its specific name by 
its author, Philippi, 1844. A concise and apt description is 
provided by Fauvel (1927: 363, fig. 124c): “ Tube calcaire, 
blanchatre, epais, rapidment evase, bourrelets en entonnoir.” 
Zibrowius’s description (1966: 376/377) of tubes of of 
V. infundibulum collected from Madeira during the “Jean 
Charcot” Expedition is similar: “ Les tubes ... toujours 
pourvus deperistomes eyases!’ In a later, more detailed study, 
Zibrowius (1968a: 122) confirms the presence of funnel- 
shaped peristomes along the tube of V. infundibulum, and 
adds the following: that it may be quite smooth or possess, 
frequently 4 or 5, or rarely 2 or 7, longitudinal ridges, but 
characterized by the “funnel-shaped” peristomes. The 
terminal peristome is always better developed and more 
outwardly directed than the preceding ones. A smooth tube 
with vase-shaped peristomes is figured and described by 
Bianchi (1981: 72, fig. 25a; see Fig. 8B in present paper). 
However, the tube fragment figured by Monro (1930: fig. 
88c; see Fig. 8C in present paper) fits neither that of V. 
infundibulum, nor of V. glandigera described from the 
Kimberleys, but of another species. The terminal annulus 
of the opercula figured by Monro (1981: fig. 88a) is also 
different from that of V. glandigera from the Kimberleys. 
The more important characters that distinguish V. 
infundibulum and V. glandigera can therefore be summarized 
as follows. 
Differences between Vermiliopsis infundibulum 
and Vermiliopsis glandigera 
In Vermiliopsis infundibulum, tubes bear characteristic 
massive funnel-shaped to vase-shaped peristomes with 
thickened outwardly directed rims; may be smooth or bear 
a number of longitudinal ridges but bear the characteristic 
peristomes; terminal peristome always better developed 
and outwardly directed than preceding ones. Worms attain 
maximum lengths of up to 30.0 mm; possess up to 20 radioles. 
Operculum could exceed 8.0 mm, chitinous, brown; more or 
less transparent; may possess up to 70 partitions. Thoracic 
uncini may possess up about 16 teeth; most anterior tooth 
longer than rest, simple. Number of abdominal segments may 
exceed hundred. See Zibrowius (1968a: 121-123). 
In V. glandigera, on the other hand, tubes may be flared 
outwards on the substratum, but do not possess vase-shaped 
or funnel-shaped peristomes (Figs 5A,C, 6A,B,I,K, 7F,I). 
Indeed, such vase-shaped or funnel-shaped peristomes have 
not been described for the “V. infundibulum/glandigera- 
group” recorded from various localities in Indo-West Pacific. 
Instead, peristomes, when present, consist of thickened 
transverse ridges. A number of longitudinal ridges usually 
present. As regards Fig. 7B, even if such erect terminal 
portions of tubes are co nfir med to occur somet im es in V. 
glandigera, their peristomes are not comparable to those of 
V. infundibulum (Fig. 8A,B). Worms: attain lengths of up 
to about 13.7 mm. Maximum number of radioles observed: 
10 on each side. Operculum and peduncle attain lengths up 
to about 3.8 mm; maximum number of partitions observed 
in chitinous distal part, 16. Thoracic uncini: bear about 12 
teeth and a simple anterior process.Maximum number of 
abdominal segments observed 66. The maximum attainable 
size, number of branchial radioles on each side, and number 
of abdominal segments in V. infundibulum is, therefore, 
about double that of V. glandigera. The maximum number 
of opercular partitions observed in former is about four times 
that of the latter. The number of teeth in the thoracic uncini 
is also higher. 
Zibrowius (1968a: 123) gives the distribution of V. 
infundibulum as the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, 
it’s having been reported from Angola, Azores, Canaries, 
numerous locations in the Mediterranean, and the Black 
Sea. The latter distribution, the characters of V. infundibulum 
discussed above, and Monro’s (1930) tube fragment (Fig. 
8C) and opercula confirm that Monro’s material from 
the Gulf of Guinea was not V. glandigera. Vermiliopsis 
infundibulum can now be, therefore, eliminated from the 
Indo-West Pacific. Past identifications of collections from 
the Indo-West Pacific as the latter may now be referred to 
Vermiliopsis glandigera Gravier, 1908, or other species of 
Vermiliopsis, as appropriate. 
Ten Hove & Kupriyanova (2009: 100) provide an 
important discussion in this context. They use the name of 
the type species of genus Vermiliopsis Saint-Joseph, 1894, 
namely, Vermilia multivaricosa Morch, 1861, as the new 
name for Vermilia glandigera sensu Philippi, 1844. Since 
Vermilia has been replaced by Vermiliopsis, the “ Vermiliopsis 
infundibulum/glandigera-complQx” or “group” discussed 
above would change to “ Vermiliopsis multivaricosa/ 
glandigera- complex” or “group”. Ten Hove & Kupriyanova, 
(2009: 102) refer to V. infundibulum as part of a complex 
with V. pygidialis and V. glandigera in the Indo-West Pacific. 
Indeterminate species of Vermiliopsis 
reported from the Indo-West Pacific 
Imajima (1976) describes material from Southwest Japan 
as “Vermiliopsis infundibulum/glandigera group.” It attains 
nearly twice the size of V. glandigera, the largest worm 
having a total length of 25 mm and 109 segments and 18-19 
pairs of branchial radioles. Moreover, it bears Apomatus- 
chaetae from the third thoracic chaetiger onwards i.e., the 
3rd to 7th thoracic chaetigers, and the thoracic uncini bear 
15-17 teeth. Quite interestingly, and as specifically described 
and illustrated by Imajima (fig. lla,c-g), “several dark 
brown rings”. Such pronounced dark rings or bands were not 
reported for V. glandigera by Gravier, 1908, are not obvious 
in the Kimberleys specimens, and have not been described in 
other collections identified as the “ Vermiliopsis infundibulum 
