Revision of Metavermilia Bush (Polychaeta, Serpulidae), with Descriptions of Three New Species from off Portugal, Gulf of Guinea, and Western Indian Ocean

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Zibrowius, Helmut W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1971
• Subjects: General Medicine; Indian; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f71-215; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f71-215

The serpulid genus Metavermilia Bush 1904, is emended and revalidated for four species: M. multicristata (Philippi), the type-species and formerly placed in Vermiliopsis, from the Mediterranean Sea and northeast Atlantic, M. annobonensis n.sp. from the Gulf of Guinea, M. taenia n.sp. from the Bay of Portugal, and M. nates n.sp. from the western Indian Ocean. The relationship of Metavermilia to the closely related genera Vermiliopsis Saint-Joseph and Pseudovermilia Bush is discussed. An apparently new form of parasitism (organisms of uncertain systematic position) in serpulid polychaetes was observed on the gill filaments of M. nates.