Syllidae Grube, 1850 (Annelida) from southern Africa. A taxonomic update, with a focus on Syllis Lamarck, 1818 by Safiyya Sedick Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Dr Carol Simon Faculty of Natural Science Department of Botany and Zoology March 2018 i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis/declaration electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and republication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Safiyya Sedick Copyright © 2018 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of contents DECLARATION ................................................................................................................................................. II TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... I ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................... III OPSOMMING ................................................................................................................................................... IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................. V LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 ALPHA TAXONOMY AND ITS ROLE IN COSMOPOLITANISM ................................................................................. 1 1.2 THE DISINTEGRATION OF COSMOPOLITAN POLYCHAETES ............................................................................... 2 1.3 POLYCHAETE TAXONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA .................................................................................................. 3 1.4 SYLLIDAE (ANNELIDA) ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.5 AIMS .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2: DESKTOP REVISION OF SYLLIDAE (ANNELIDA, POLYCHAETA) LISTED IN DAY (1967) . 7 2.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 METHOD AND MATERIALS .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.1 CREATING THE CHECKLIST ...................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 ASSIGNING GENERAL SPECIES STATUS .................................................................................................... 10 2.2.3 LOCAL DISTRIBUTION DATA ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................. 13 2.3.1 TAXONOMY ............................................................................................................................................ 13 2.3.4 GENERAL TAXONOMIC STATUS OF SYLLIDAE ............................................................................................ 15 2.3.3 LOCAL AND GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION .......................................................................................................... 15 2.4 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................. 17 CHAPTER 3: SPECIES RICHNESS OF SYLLIDS FROM THREE SITES ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA, WITH NOTES ON GENERAL SYLLID TAXONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL STATUS ...... 21 3.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 METHODS AND MATERIALS ........................................................................................................................ 23 3.2.1 STUDY AREA ......................................................................................................................................... 23 3.2.2 SAMPLE COLLECTION AND PROCESSING .................................................................................................. 23 3.2.3 MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATIONS: ........................................................................................................ 24 3.3 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................. 26 3.3.1 SPECIES RICHNESS OF SYLLIDAE (ANNELIDA) AMONG THREE SITES WITH NOTES ON ALIEN STATUS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER TAXONOMIC REVISION. ......................................................................................... 26 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48 3.4 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................. 53 CHAPTER 4: A MORPHOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRIC COMPARISON OF SYLLIS ARMILLARIS MÜLLER 1776 AND SYLLIS AMICA QUATREFAGES 1866 FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA AND EUROPE WITH SYLLIS AMICARMILLARIS SIMON, SAN MARTÍN AND ROBINSON 2014 FROM SOUTH AFRICA ......................................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 57 4.2 METHODS AND MATERIALS ........................................................................................................................ 62 4.2.1 MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 66 4.3.2 A MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SYLLIS ARMILLARIS, SYLLIS AMICA AND SYLLIS AMICARMILLARIS FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA AND EUROPE ..................................................................................................................... 66 4.3.2.1 ARE SYLLIS CF. ARMILLARIS AND SYLLIS CF. AMICA FROM SOUTH AFRICA THE SAME AS EUROPEAN CONSPECIFICS? .............................................................................................................................................. 69 i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 4.3.2.2 ARE SYLLIS CF. ARMILLARIS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND SYLLIS AMICARMILLARIS SIMILAR? ....................... 70 4.4 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................. 76 CHAPTER 5: SYNTHESIS .............................................................................................................................. 80 REFERENCES: ............................................................................................................................................... 82 APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................................................... 115 AN UPDATED CHECKLIST OF SYLLIDS LISTED IN DAY (1967) WITH NOVEL SPECIES .............................................. 115 TABLE 1. ...................................................................................................................................................... 144 TABLE 2. ...................................................................................................................................................... 147 ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Syllidae is a common polychaete family in South African coastal environments but have not been the focus of research since the publication of a comprehensive polychaete identification guide by Day (1967). Further, they are not listed in any local alien species inventories despite several geographically widespread species (with type localities elsewhere) occurring here. Thus, my aim was to update the list of syllids in Day (1967), allocating each species with a general status: alien, indigenous, cryptogenic or with questionable identifications