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Records of the Australian Museum (2009) Vol. 61 
with radiolar appendages as long as two thoracic chaetigers, 
lateral lamellae not reaching the tip of appendage, three 
dorsal pinnular appendages on each lip. Ventral lips rounded 
and well developed; parallel ventral lamellae and ventral 
sacs present. Caruncle absent. Smooth keel arising dorsally 
and directed ventrally between dorsal lips (Fig. 20). Dorsal 
margins of collar fused to the faecal groove, with dorsolateral 
V-shaped notches on both sides and shallow dorsolateral 
pockets becoming a shallow groove more dorsally (Fig. 20); 
lateral margins smooth (Fig. 2P), triangular non-overlapping 
ventral lappets, with a complete midventral incision (Fig. 
2N). Ventral shields quadrangular with indented margins 
laterally, slightly diminishing in width posteriorly, in contact 
with the neuropodial tori, except in anterior chaetigers (Fig. 
2N). First ventral shield 1.5 times longer than the rest, with 
an m-shaped anterior margin (Fig. 2N). First chaetiger 
with superior and inferior elongate narrowly hooded 
notochaetae, superior row longer than inferior. Rest of 
thoracic chaetigers with superior elongate narrowly hooded 
notochaetae arranged in irregular rows and inferior broadly 
hooded notochaetae (type B) in single row. Notopodia of 
thoracic chaetigers with a large lamellate lobe separating 
inferior and superior fascicles of notochaetae. Neuropodial 
tori becoming slightly shorter posteriorly. Thoracic uncini 
with several rows of small teeth, all similar in size above 
main fang; uncinus with well developed breast and handle 
about twice the length of the distance from breast to main 
fang (Fig. 41). Companion chaetae with asymmetrical mem¬ 
brane. Abdominal neuropodia with broadly hooded chaetae. 
Notopodial uncini similar to thoracic uncini but with handles 
half their length (Fig. 4J). Posterior chaetigers regenerating, 
pygidium papilla-like, with scattered eyespots present. 
Reproductive features. Eggs present in anterior abdominal 
segments. 
Colour pattern. Crown and thorax with purple pigment¬ 
ation after fixation. There are some conspicuous dark spots 
located on the ventral margin of the thoracic tori which 
we do not consider to be eyespots, as the patches are not 
discrete (pigment dilutes dorsally along tori edges) and they 
are also not interramal as in other sabellids that display 
segmental eyespots. 
Remarks. This specimen does not fit the description of any 
previously described species but it is premature to describe 
it as new until more specimens are found and intraspecific 
variability can be assessed. The combination of such 
characters as margins of collar not fused to the faecal groove 
(although there is a ridge that continues from the end of the 
dorsal margins to where the middorsal faecal groove ends, 
which could be interpreted as fusion with the faecal groove), 
U-shaped dorsolateral incisions of the collar, the presence of 
low collar pockets, and subdistal eyes on most radioles makes 
the specimen similar to several other species previously 
described from the Indo-Pacific: M. multioculatum, from 
Thailand and M. pacificum from Gilbert Islands. However, M. 
multioculatum is described as having collar margins fused to 
the faecal groove and pockets present, and the latter species 
has been possibly referred to Demonax by Fitzhugh (2002). 
The specimen described above differs fromM multioculatum 
also in the development of the collar, as the ventral lappets 
are shorter, not visibly longer than lateral margins, but are 
elongate in M. multioculatum, in which the dorsal margins 
of collar are clearly fused to the faecal groove and there are 
shallow pockets present on both sides. Also, the specimen 
from Queensland has inferior thoracic chaetae arising in 
a single row and with progressively tapering tips (type B) 
while M. multioculatum has chaetae with broader and more 
slender tips (type A). The handles of thoracic uncini are also 
shorter in the Queensland specimen. 
According to Tovar-Hernandez and Salazar-Vallejo 
(2008), there are three species described as having the 
dorsal margins of collar not fused to the faecal groove, 
pockets present and radiolar eyes in most radioles (which 
have been previously placed in Group 2B). One of these, 
M. neapolitanum Claparede, 1868, described from Italy, 
has been recently synonymized with M. lanigera (Grube, 
1846) (Giangrande & Licciano, 2008). The other two, M. 
heterops and M. perkinsi Tovar-Hernandez & Salazar- 
Vallejo, 2006, were described from Florida. The specimen 
described above differs from M. heterops in the shape of 
the inferior thoracic chaetae which are broader in the base 
and thinner in the tip, bottle-shaped, and the thoracic uncini 
handles which are significantly shorter. According to the 
drawings and original description, M. perkinsi has lateral 
and dorsal anterior margins of the collar similar in length, 
and the collar fused to the faecal groove, features not shared 
by the specimen described above. 
Megalomma sp. 2 
Fig. 12 
Material examined. Victoria. MV F70842 (lspec. on SEM stub AM500), 
eastern Bass Strait, 8.6 km west southwest of Cape Conran, 37°51'11"S 
148°38'32"E. 
Description. Single specimen incomplete, with eight 
thoracic chaetigers and five abdominal chaetigers. Crown 
with ten pairs of radioles, arranged in semicircles. External 
margins of radioles quadrangular, without lateral flanges 
(Fig. 12A,B). Tips of radioles shorter than pinnules. 
Subdistal eyes present on the two dorsalmost pairs of 
radioles; dorsalmost pair larger and almost surrounding 
the radiolar tip (Fig. 12C). Ventral lips rounded and well 
developed; ventral parallel lamellae and ventral sacs present. 
Dorsal margins of collar not fused to the faecal groove, 
terminating dorsolaterally and leaving a wide gap between 
them (Fig. 12A,B); collar pockets absent; lateral margins 
smooth, oblique; elongate, triangular, non-overlapping 
ventral lappets, with a complete midventral incision. 
Ventral shields quadrangular, similar in length along 
thoracic chaetigers, almost in contact with tori. First ventral 
shield with a straight anterior margin. First chaetiger with 
superior and inferior elongate narrowly hooded notochaetae; 
superior row longer than the inferior (Fig. 12D). Rest of 
thoracic chaetigers with superior elongate narrowly hooded 
notochaetae and inferior broadly hooded notochaetae with 
tips decreasing in width progressively, arranged in two 
rows (Fig. 12G). Thoracic uncini with several rows of 
small teeth, all similar in size, above main fang (Fig. 12E), 
uncinus with well developed breast. Companion chaetae 
with asymmetrical membrane and small teeth covering 
most of surface but with smooth distal tip (Fig. 12F). 
Abdominal neuropodia with broadly hooded chaetae (Fig. 
121). Abdominal uncini similar to thoracic (Fig. 12H) but 
with shorter handles. Pygidium missing. 
