Pseudopolydora eriyali Simon, Sato-Okoshi and Abe, 2017

Status
Rare, Indigenous

Description
Robust, up to 20mm for 51 chaetigers. Prostomium widely flaring to form T shape.  Caruncle to ends of chaetiger 4 to 6.1 or 2 pairs of eyes in trapezoid arrangement, anterior pair double the size of posterior pair. Short occipital tentacle.
Notochaetae absent on Chaetiger 1. Chaetiger 5 weakly modified. Two types of modified spines arranged in flattened asymmetric U-shape; inner spines long with asymmetrical subdistal thickening, almost rhomboid in shape, rounded point; outer spines spoon-shaped with bristles lining concavity and tapering point. Hooded hooks start on chaetiger 8 onwards, no accompanying neurochaetae.
Branchiae start on chaetiger 7, touch along the midline chaetiger 12 onwards. On 50 – 70% of chaetigers.
Pygidium with four lobes, resemble flower in life.

Distribution
South Africa: Western and Eastern Cape provinces.

Ecology
In sediment and algal turf, association with oyster, Saccostrea cuccullata incidental.

Note
Part of the Pseudopolydora antennata species complex. Members resemble each other closely, but show subtle differences in body size, shapes of simple modified spines on chaetiger 5 and methyl green staining patterns.