A new species of the rare deep-sea polychaete genus Benthoscolex from the Sea of Kumano Japan (Annelida Amphinomidae)

摘要

A new species of amphinomid polychaete, Benthoscolex seisuiae >sp. n., is described from the Sea of Kumano, Japan, from depths of 487–596 m. The species is distinguishable from its congeners by the following features: i) palps 1.8 times as long as lateral antennae; ii) branchiae do not reach to the tip of the notochaetae. This is the first record of Benthoscolex from Japan. A partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequence from the holotype of B. seisuiae >sp. n. is provided for reliable species identification in the future.