Typhloscolex undetermined

Typhloscolex sp. (Figs 1, 10A–B, 11) Material examined. Seven specimens: ZMMU WS20970 (Et), ZMMU WS20971 (FA), ZMMU WS20972, ZMMU WS20973, ZMMU WS20974, ZMMU WS20975 (Et), ZMMU WS20976 (FA, Et). Description (based on all our material). Body 3–3.5 mm long, thick, with 21–22 chaetigers of body trunk. Live and preserved worms white, semi-transparent. Prostomium mushroom-shaped, round in frontal view, 1–0.9 body diameter; dorsal and ventral prostomial lobes of similar size, with dorsal and ventral marginal belts of long thick cilia (Fig. 10). Apical palpodium consists of cylindrical base and thin distal part (Fig. 10A). Nuchal lappets rounded, ciliated, attached to base of dorsal prostomial lobe (Fig. 10A). Extended proboscis short, with short conical dorsal appendage (Fig. 10B). Cephalic and parapodial cirri not observed. Places of attachment of three anterior cirri arranged in strait line, 1 st (cephalic), 2 nd and 3 rd (neck) cirri located one above another. All following segments with dorsal and ventral podial cirri (Fig. 10A). Parapodia start from 6 th segment (3 rd chaetiger), small, conical, uniramous, each with two simple recurved capillary chaetae, and one thick aciculum penetrating through epidermis. Caudal cirri oval (Fig. 10A). Distribution. Central Red Sea (this study). Remarks. According to 18S and 28S markers, this Typhloscolex forms a sister clade to T. cf. muelleri (Fig. 11). It differs morphologically both from a typical T. muelleri from the Atlantic and our T. cf. mueleri in size and comparative lengths of head and body trunk. Overall, the difference between the two forms is rather notable. Unfortunately, all our specimens lost their podial cirri.