Descriptions of two new species of Eunice Cuvier , 1817 ( Polychaeta : Eunicidae ) from coastal islands of the State of São Paulo , Brazil *

Eunice Cuvier, 1817 is caracterised by having 1 central antenna, 1 pair of lateral antennae, 1 pair of slender dorsolateral palps (formerly considered as an additional pair of antennae), and 1 pair of peristomial cirri (Orrhage, 1995). Chaetae include limbate and pectinate chaetae, compound falcigers, subacicular hooks, and in some species compound spinigers and pseudocompound falcigers; the subacicular hooks and falcigers are protected by paired guards (Fauchald, 1992). Branchiae may be present, and some species have been described with both branchiate and abranchiate forms. However, Fauchald (1992) stated that this character, at least in some species, is invariable and therefore these different “forms” should be considered as different species. Fauchald (1992) reviewed the genus and considered more than 200 species as valid. Other species were not included in his revision, or were described later (Miura, 1986, 1987; Orensanz, 1990; CarreraParra and Salazar-Valejo, 1998; Lu and Fauchald, 1998). In Brazil, 26 species of Eunice have been identified up to the present (Hartman, 1948; Nonato, 1981; Nonato and Luna, 1970; Rullier and Amoureux, 1979; Lana, 1981; Morgado and Amaral, 1981), but except for the species of the southeastern and southern areas, most Brazilian polychaetes are poorly known. Two new species of Eunice are described herein. Both live in colonies of the stony coral Mussismilia hispida (Verrill, 1902) on coastal islands of the state SCI. MAR., 65 (1): 47-57 SCIENTIA MARINA 2001


INTRODUCTION
Eunice Cuvier, 1817 is caracterised by having 1 central antenna, 1 pair of lateral antennae, 1 pair of slender dorsolateral palps (formerly considered as an additional pair of antennae), and 1 pair of peristomial cirri (Orrhage, 1995).Chaetae include limbate and pectinate chaetae, compound falcigers, subacicular hooks, and in some species compound spinigers and pseudocompound falcigers; the subacicular hooks and falcigers are protected by paired guards (Fauchald, 1992).Branchiae may be present, and some species have been described with both branchiate and abranchiate forms.However, Fauchald (1992) stated that this character, at least in some species, is invariable and therefore these different "forms" should be considered as different species.Fauchald (1992) reviewed the genus and considered more than 200 species as valid.Other species were not included in his revision, or were described later (Miura, 1986(Miura, , 1987;;Orensanz, 1990;Carrera-Parra and Salazar-Valejo, 1998;Lu and Fauchald, 1998).In Brazil, 26 species of Eunice have been identified up to the present (Hartman, 1948;Nonato, 1981;Nonato and Luna, 1970;Rullier and Amoureux, 1979;Lana, 1981;Morgado and Amaral, 1981), but except for the species of the southeastern and southern areas, most Brazilian polychaetes are poorly known.
Two new species of Eunice are described herein.Both live in colonies of the stony coral Mussismilia hispida (Verrill, 1902)

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The specimens described in this paper came from collections made for two independent projects carried out on the coast of the state of São Paulo.The first project examined the intertidal macrofaunal polychaetes along the São Sebastião Channel.The other project analysed the fauna present in colonies of the stony coral Mussismilia hispida (Verrill, 1868) on rocky shores of coastal islands (Nogueira, 1995), and particularly the polychaetes in colonies of the same coral in two islands in the same area (Nogueira, 2000).
For the first project, samples of sediment from every kind of intertidal environment along São Sebastião Channel were collected.The macrofaunal polychaetes were fixed in 4% formalin, transferred to 70% alcohol, and identified.Collections were made monthly in 1992-1993 and 1995-1998.The particular collection at Engenho d'Água Beach, São Sebastião Island, a sandy beach where Eunice insularis sp.n. was found, was made in September 1992.For the second project, a total of 18 colonies of the massive coral M. hispida were collected on the rocky shores of two islands off the coast of São Paulo: Alcatrazes Island (26°06'S, 45°42'W), on 30 March 1995 and 4 December 1996, and Laje de Santos (24°19'S, 46°11'W), on 17 March 1996.On both islands the rocky shores have hemispheric colonies of M. hispida scattered over the rocks, as well as large colonies of the cnidarians Palythoa and Zoanthus, and some algal tufts.Corals were fixed in 4% formalin and later decalcified with formalin-formic acid solution.Polychaetes were sorted from the sediment and transferred to 70% alcohol prior to identification.
Observations and measurements were made using Nomarski interference contrast optics.Drawings were made with a drawing tube.Scanning electron micrographs of the material were made at the Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo.Type material is deposited at the Museu de História Natural, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP; Catalogue series .
With this methodology, it was not possible to determine whether these species are truly associated with the corals, or if they are merely cryptic species sheltering beneath the corals.Etymology: The species was named Eunice insularis because, although the area has been extensively studied by Dr. Amaral and associates, it has never been recorded from the mainland of the state of São Paulo, but only from islands.
Variation: Branchiae were present in one specimen from São Sebastião Island, in some parapodia from chaetigers 15-22, and in several specimens from Alcatrazes Island, on the posterior chaetigers.In addition to the position, the size of the filaments also varied, from very short filaments in the specimen from São Sebastião Island, to spiral filaments, much longer than the dorsal cirri, in some specimens from Alcatrazes.The presence or absence of branchiae does not depend on the size of the worm.
Younger specimens lack peristomial cirri, but are identical to the larger specimens in all other features.The absence of peristomial cirri and branchiae would place those specimens in a different genus, Paramarphysa Ehlers, 1887, but they are in fact merely juveniles of the same species and, as in the case of Eunice wui Lu and Fauchald, 1998, the presence of peristomial cirri depends on the size of the worms.
Discussion: Although Fauchald (1992) considered the presence or absence of branchiae to be a very important character for the identification of a species (at least for some species, such as Eunice cariboea), this is a highly variable character in Eunice insularis.In this species, the branchiate and abranchiate forms are absolutely identical in all other features, and the branchiae, when present, also differ in position and length from one specimen to another.Among branchiate Eunice, the species most similar to E. insularis are E. excariboea Fauchald, 1992 andE. gagzoi Augener, 1922, two species that were frequently identified as branchiate forms of E. cariboea Grube, 1856, before Fauchald's review of the genus (1992).Eunice excariboea differs from E. insularis in having: palps and antennae with articulated ceratostyles, as well as dorsal cirri; branchiae palmate, with 2-3 filaments instead of 1, as in E. insularis; subacicular hooks beginning far posteriorly, from segment 78 in the paratype and segment 87 in the holotype, while in E. insularis they begin from setiger 20-28; and subacicular hooks with proximal tooth shorter than that of E. insularis (Fauchald, 1992).Eunice gagzoi differs from E. insularis in that its branchial filaments are longer, as long as the body width where best developed; the pectinate chaetae have both lateral teeth about the same size, and in E. insularis one of the lateral teeth is about twice as long as the other; the blades of the compound chaetae have both teeth directed obliquely distally, while in E. insularis both teeth are directed laterally; the acicula have bent tips, versus the straightly tapering, distally blunt condition, as in E. insularis; subacicular hooks with proximal tooth much larger, strongly bent, pointed, basally directed, while in E. insularis the corresponding tooth is straight, distally blunt, laterally directed; and the maxillary formula is different from E. insularis (Fauchald, 1992).
Eunice cincta seems to be morphologically closest to E. insularis, but its description is incomplete and, according to Fauchald (1992), the holotype is damaged, making more precise analysis impossible.We rely on the differences in the size of palps, antennae, and peristomial cirri, as well as in the shape of the tips of the ventral cirri, in considering it as a different species.Moreover, E. cincta is known from the Society Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and has never been found in the Atlantic.
Habitat: Eunice insularis was found associated with a stony coral, and in a sandy beach with coarse sand and stones of different sizes, being much more common and abundant in the corals.

Etymology:
The name Eunice marconii is given in homage to Marconi Holanda Mendes, who has extensively assisted the senior author and made it possible for him to conclude his Ph.D. course.
Discussion: Eunice marconii is similar to E. filamentosa Grube, 1856 and E. spongicola (Treadwell, 1921), two very close species, which have long been considered synonymous (Hartman, 1956;Fauchald, 1992).Eunice marconii is somewhat intermediate between them, apparently closer to E. filamentosa, as can be seen in Table 2.However, the differences, mainly in the jaws, branchiae, and acicula, are sufficient to consider it a separate species.
The most distinctive character of E. marconii is the structure of the jaws.described by Treadwell (1921) and redescribed by Fauchald (1992) and, although these authors did not agree about the number of teeth in some plates, neither of them mentioned either the presence of Maxilla VI or the chitinous plates observed superiorly and inferiorly on Maxilla II, as in E. marconii.The same occurs in Treadwell's description of E. filamentosa (1921).
Habitat: Eunice marconii was found inside thick mucous tubes in algal tufts or other biogenic structures in dead areas of the coral colonies.

of two new species of Eunice Cuvier, 1817 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from coastal islands of the State of São Paulo, Brazil* of
on coastal islands of the state São Paulo.One of the species was also found in a sandy beach. 2001Descriptions