[Annelida] Aricidea assimilis, A. fauveli and A. mutabilis

[Michael Reuscher]

Hello Barbara,
A. (Acmira?) fauveli was described by Olga Hartman after noticing that some specimens described as A. (Aricidea) fragilis in 1936 by Fauvel differed in the shape of the modified neurochaetae from the latter species. I am not sure, however, if she had a look at Fauvel's specimens or if she erected A. fauveli only from drawings in Fauvel's description. Strelzov (1973, 1979) notes that A. fauveli is a junior synonym of Aricidea (Acmira) lopezi lopezi Berkeley & Berkeley, 1956 and that A. fauveli are just bigger specimens of the same species.
A. (Acmira) assimilis is, according to Strelzov (1973, 1979), not the same species because the modified neurochaetae have a different shape and the number of branchiae differs between A. assimilis and A. fauveli.
A. (Acmira) mutabilis was described by Laubier and Ramos. Its validity was already doubted by the authors of the original description because they noted the similarity to A. assimilis and A. fauveli. Katzmann and Laubier (1975) confirmed the synonymy of the three species. Since A. assimilis and A. fauveli do not seem to be the same species, it remains to be seen which one of the two is the senior synonym. Looking at the descriptions, A. mutabilis might well be a junior synonym of A. assimilis.
So to sum this up:
1) A. (Acmira) assimilis Tebble, 1959 seems to be a valid species
2) A. (Acmira?) fauveli Hartman, 1957 seems to be a junior synonym of A. (Acmira) lopezi lopezi
3) A. (Acmira) mutabilis) Laubier & Ramos, 1974 seems to be a junior synonym of A. (Acmira) assimilis

I hope this helps to resolves the confusion,
Michael

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