Travisiid worms from deep water off Western Mexico with the establishment of a new species (Annelida: Travisiidae) MARÍA ANA TOVAR-HERNÁNDEZ, DANY E. BURGESS, JESÚS ANGEL DE LEÓN-GONZÁLEZ, MICHEL E. HENDRICKX Zootaxa, 2026 Two species of travisiid worms are here reported from the continental slope of western Mexico. Travisia brevis Moore, 1923, a species reported in Mexican waters since 1972, was found off Guerrero to 880‒1928 m depth. A new species of Travisia is established for material collected off Jalisco, Colima and Guerrero, between 1050‒1992 m depth. Travisia pupa Moore, 1906 has been suggested to be present in Mexican waters and at first view it has some similarity with the new species described herein. Consequently, specimens of T. pupa from Puget Sound, Washington State, United States of America, were reviewed and analyzed for comparative purposes. Travisia hernandezalcantarai sp. nov., has a unique set of distinctive features: nuchal organs remarkably large, parapodial lappets absent, mid-ventral groove present, annulate branchiae from chaetiger 2 and peculiar rows of spherical papillae along body segments. Full descriptions and illustrations are provided for the three species. A key to species of Travisia from the North American Pacific is provided.
First record of Licnophora chattoni (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea) on the sabellid worm Bispira melanostigma from marina fouling communities Jesús Angel de León-González, Rosaura Mayén-Estrada, Luis Fernando Carrera-Parra, María Elena García Garza, María Ana Tovar-Hernández Biodiversity Data Journal, 2026 Epibiosis between ciliates and feather duster worms (Sabellidae) remains poorly known and has been documented in only four species, belonging to the genera Eudistylia , Laonome , Schizobanchia and Sabella . Licnophora is a genus of ciliates whose species live as epibionts on freshwater or marine organisms, involving algae, macrophytes and a wide range of marine animals from different phyla, including amongst them polychaete worms. The tubiculous polychaete Bispira melanostigma is here reported for the first time as a component of fouling communities on a dock piling in the southern Gulf of Mexico, extending its known ecological occurrence beyond corals reefs, sand and seagrasses beds of the Caribbean Sea. In addition, ciliated epibionts attached to the radioles are reported and identified as Licnophora chattoni , constituting the first documented epibiotic association between this licnophorid ciliate and a sabellid fan worm.
Additional new species of marine annelids from Clipperton Island (Nereididae: Pilargidae: Sabellariidae) Sergio I. Salazar-Vallejo, J. Angel De León-González European Journal of Taxonomy, 2025 We herein present three additional new species of marine annelids collected during the Expédition Clipperton (Dec. 2004–Apr. 2005). A new species of nereidid polychaete, Perinereis hourdezi sp. nov. differs from P. websteri Conde-Vela, 2022, described from Bermuda, by having most parapodia with neuropodial postchaetal lobes (missing in P. websteri), jaws with up to 5 teeth (up to 10 in P. websteri), and Areas VII–VIII with 24 paragnanths in 3 regular bands (16 paragnaths in 2 rows in P. websteri). A new species of pilargid polychaete, Synelmis meziane sp. nov. differs from S. kirkegaardi Salazar-Vallejo, 2003 described from the Eastern Atlantic, because it has median segments with parapodial cirri fusiform mucronate (tapered in S. kirkegaardi), and ventral cirri 2 × as long as wide (as long as wide in S. kirkegaardi). A new species of sabellariid polychaete, Lygdamis mariae sp. nov. differs from L. nesiotes (Chamberlin, 1919) described from the Tuamotu Islands because it has outer paleae solid (annulate in L. nesiotes), and 14 pairs of inner paleae (17 in L. nesiotes). Keys to identify all species of group 1A (Hutchings et al. 1991) of Perinereis, and to all species in Synelmis and Lygdamis are also included.
Impact of the invasive colonial tunicate Distaplia stylifera on polychaete taxocenosis associated with pen shells in the Gulf of California, Mexico María Fernanda Cardona-Gutiérrez, Víctor Hugo Cruz-Escalona, María Ana Tovar-Hernández, Jesús Ángel de León-González, José Manuel Borges Souza, et al. Bulletin of Marine Science, 2025 The pen shell Atrina maura (Bivalvia: Pinnidae) is an important fishery resource in the Gulf of California, providing habitat for various invertebrates, including polychaetes and the invasive colonial tunicate Distaplia stylifera . This study documents these epibiotic polychaete assemblages in La Paz Lagoon (southern Gulf of California, Pacific Ocean) and evaluates whether the presence of D. stylifera affects their species richness, abundance, and assemblage structure. A total of 24 pen shells - 12 colonized by D. stylifera and 12 uncolonized - were collected from northern and southern areas of La Paz Lagoon to examine and record polychaetes inhabiting the valves, either directly or on the tunicate-covered surface. Polychaete species richness and abundance were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model with a negative binomial distribution, whereas assemblage structure was assessed using a two-way permutation analysis of variance. Of the 1754 polychaetes (belonging to 28 species, 28 genera, and 18 families) recorded, only 10.2% were associated with uncolonized pen shell valves, compared to 89.9% in those colonized by D. stylifera , whose presence significantly increased polychaete abundance (P = 1.87 x 10 -5 ), species richness (P = 3.80 x 10 -4 ), and assemblage structure (P = 0.001), irrespective of collection area. The most abundant species were Syllis cf. gracilis, commonly found on calcareous substrates, and Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica, a known biofouling organism on docks and boat hulls in Gulf of California marinas. This study concludes that the invasive D. stylifera enhances the composition, richness, and abundance of polychaetes on pen shell bivalves in the studied lagoon and likely throughout the Gulf of California.
Polychaeta collected during the research cruises TALUD aboard the R/V “El Puma” in the Mexican Pacific: Sabellidae and Serpulidae MARÍA ANA TOVAR-HERNÁNDEZ, JESÚS ANGEL DE LEÓN-GONZÁLEZ, MICHEL E. HENDRICKX Zootaxa, 2025 A total of 17 species of tubiculous worms (15 sabellids and 2 serpulids) were identified from deep-sea environment in the Gulf of California, off the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula, and off Guerrero, western Mexico. In addition, two sabellids were included from shallow waters for comparative purposes. Eleven sabellids are new to science: two in the genus Bispira, one each in the genera Chone, Claviramus, Euchone, and Jasmineira, two each in the genera Myxicola and Perkinsiana, and one in the genus Potamethus. Three taxa were identified at genus level (Branchiomma, Hydroides and Pseudopotamilla) and one as confer (Chone cf. mollis). Euchone cortezi Reish, 1968 is reinstated. Fabrisabella vasculosa Hartman, 1969 and Hyalopomatus biformis (Hartman, 1960) constitute new records in Mexico. Hydroides sp. (Serpulidae) is the first record of the genus in deep waters of the continental slope (2,077 m).
On two new paraonids (Annelida, Paraonidae) from Bahía de los Angeles, Gulf of California, Mexico JESÚS ANGEL DE LEÓN-GONZÁLEZ, VICTORIA DÍAZ-CASTAÑEDA, MARÍA ANA TOVAR-HERNÁNDEZ Zootaxa, 2025 Two new species of Paraonidae (Annelida) belonging to the genera Aricidea (Acmira) Hartley, 1981 and Paradoneis Hartman, 1965, are described from soft bottoms of Bahía de Los Angeles, Gulf of California. Aricidea (Acmira) blackei sp. nov. is characterized by having a short, digitiform antenna with a discrete swollen base; by possessing notopodial postchaetal lobes in prebranchial and branchial region, changing gradually in size and shape from the first two chaetigers to the last pair of branchiae; last pair of branchiae being shorter than the rest; and by having curved hooks with a very strong hood and a fragile arista. Paradoneis mackiei sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of lyrate notochaetae with tines of different thickness along body, showing an evident increament in size from anterior to posterior end. Identification keys to all species of Aricidea (Acmira) and Paradoneis are included.
Catalogue of type specimens deposited in the Polychaeta Collection of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon (Mexico) María Elena García-Garza, Jesús Angel de León-González, María Ana Tovar-Hernández Biodiversity Data Journal, 2024 In Mexico, there are six scientific collections of polychaetous annelids. The "Colección Poliquetológica" from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León houses one of the three most important collections of annelids in the country, based on a number of lots and number of type materials deposited, as well as geographical coverage. A catalogue of type materials of polychaete annelids housed at the “Colección Poliquetológica” from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (México) is presented for the first time. The Collection contains 37 holotypes, 174 paratypes and one syntype. These type materials are grouped in 15 families, 35 genera and 54 species of marine worms. Types were described mostly from the Mexican waters, with a low number of types from Ecuador, El Salvador, Argentina, USA, Philippines, New Caledonia and Japan.
Re-description of Parasphaerosyllis indica Monro, 1937 (Annelida, Syllidae), with the establishment of a new species from western Mexico Gerardo Góngora-Garza, María Tovar-Hernández, Jesús Angel de León-González Biodiversity Data Journal, 2024 Parasphaerosyllis Monro, 1937 is a syllid genus, currently composed of four species: P. indica Monro, 1937 from the Arabian Sea, P. uschakovi (Chlebovitsch, 1959) from the Kurile Islands, P. ezoensis Imajima & Hartman, 1964 from Japan and P. malimalii Capa, San Martín & López, 2001 from the Pacific coast of Panama. The distribution of P. indica is circum-tropical to temperate waters, but the presence of species complexes has been suggested. In order to clarify the distribution of P. indica in many areas of the world, a re-description, based on examination of the type material, is required as a first step to a better understanding of its diagnostic features. Parasphaerosyllis indica is re-described, based on holotype examination, a new species is established from the Gulf of California and Parasphaerosyllis malimalii is reported for the first time since its description in 2001. Parasphaerosyllis irregulata sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the following features: 1) Palps are free at their base; 2) Two types of dorsal cirri are present: spherical to bulbous and moniliform cirri; 3) Both types of cirri are distributed irregularly. A spherical/bulbous and moniliform cirrus may appear together within the same segment (asymmetrical segment) or only a spherical/bulbous cirrus may appear in several consecutive segments (not alternating as occurs in congeners); 4) The spherical/bulbous cirri may have distal knobs with 1–3 terminal articles; and 5) Bidentate falcigers with short, sub-triangular blades with a proximal tooth slightly larger that the distal one. A taxonomic key to species of Parasphaerosyllis species is included.
Invasive Species in Mexican Marine Ecosystems Jesús Ángel de León‐González, José Rolando Bastida‐Zavala, Roberto Mendoza‐Alfaro, Sergio Luna Invasive Alien Species Observations and Issues from Around the World, 2021
Biodiversity of Polychaeta (Annelida) in Mexico María Ana Tovar Hernández, Patricia Salazar Silva, Jesús Ángel De León González, Luis Fernando Carrera Parra, Sergio Ignacio Salazar Vallejo Revista Mexicana De Biodiversidad, 2014
Two new species of nereis (Polychaeta: Nereididae) from todos Santos Bay, ensenada, Baja California, México Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 1999
Nereidids (polychaeta) from the Caribbean Sea and adjacent Coral Islands of the southern Gulf of Mexico Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 1999
Spionidae and Opheliidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the western coast of Baja California, Mexico Bulletin of Marine Science, 1998
A new species of Stenoninereis (Polychaeta: Nereididae) from the Gulf of Mexico Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 1997
Orbiniidae (Polychaeta) from soft bottom of the western coast of Baja California Peninsula, Mexico Bulletin of Marine Science, 1996
Soft bottom polychaetes from the western coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. 4. Onuphidae Cahiers De Biologie Marine, 1994
