Polychaeta taxon details
Holotype USNM 19422, geounit Marshall Islands [details]
From editor or global species database
Depth range Surface, taken at night by electric light. [details]
Distribution Central Pacific Ocean: Marshall Islands (off Arno Reef). Only known from the type locality. [details]
Etymology The specific epithet atypica, feminine of the Latin adjective atypicus and meaning 'atypical', refers to the fact that "This species is interesting among syllids in having the funtional sex-organs distributed as in the pelagic or sexual forms of Autolytus and related schizogamous types, rather than as in the typical epitokous form" (Chamberlin, 1919: 182). [details]
Habitat The species is known from epitokous specimens collected at the surface, at night by electric night. The atokous form and its habitat are unknown. [details]
Type locality The data concerning the type locality is given by Chamberlin (1919: 182) as "Gilbert Island: off Arhno Reef. Surface by night light. 21 January, 1900. Numerous specimens.". By those dates the Albatross was already sailing northwards the Gilbert Islands, at the Marshal Islands."Arhno Reef" seems to refer to Arno Atoll, at Marshall Islands, but at that date the Albatross was located further north, at the islands of Likiep and Wotje, and only arrived to Arno the January 24. This way, it is possible that the collecting date of "21 January" is wrong. The type locality of the species would be: Pacific Ocean, Marshall Islands, off Arno Reef (geocoordinates not provided, estimated with gazetteer to be approximately lat. 7.17º, long. 171.76º), surface, taken at night by electric light.
[details]
Type material Holotype of Odontosyllis atypica (USNM 19422) is an epitokous specimen, probably the epitokous male described in detail by Chamberlin (1919). [details]
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