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Issue: Vol. 5782 No. 3: 25 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-25
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4
Page range: 490-508
Abstract views: 25
PDF downloaded: 0

Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

Akvaplan-niva AS; Fram Centre; 9296 Tromsø; Norway.
CESAM—Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar; Dep. Biologia; Universidade de Aveiro; Campus Universitário de Santiago; 3810- 193 Aveiro; Portugal.
Russian Academy of Sciences; Murmansk Marine Biological Institute; Vladimirskaya str. 17; Murmansk 183010; Russia.
Helenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR); Institute of Oceanography; P.O. Box 2214; 71003 Heraklion; Crete; Greece.
Departamento de Biologia; Universidade de Aveiro; Campus Universitário de Santiago; 3810-193 Aveiro; Portugal.
Annelida Sarsiana Appelloefia Wubaolingia Gulf of Cadiz submarine canyons

Abstract

The study of newly available specimens belonging to genus Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from six different localities in the NE Atlantic Ocean and E Mediterranean Sea allowed the description of three new species, L. gadirensis sp. nov., L. kithirensis sp. nov., and L. moroccensis sp. nov., all three belonging to subgenus Sarsiana. Based on the new data the status of one morphological species group formerly included in subgenus Sarsiana is raised to the subgeneric rank as Wubaolingia Sikorski subgen. nov., allowing a clearer defined diagnosis of subgenus Sarsiana. Moreover, it is suggested that within subgenus Sarsiana the degree of fusion between prostomium and peristomium may vary from a barely noticeable membrane hidden in the fold between the two to a complete fusion along the anterior edges, while a similar variation in the fusion of prostomium and peristomium is also to be expected within subgenus Laonice, according to the discussion concerning the species L. praecirrata. Subgenus Appelloefia needs also to be redefined due to the possible heterogeneity within the group.

 

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How to Cite

Sikorski, A.V., Ravara, A., Pavlova, L.V., Lampadariou, N. & Cunha, M.R. (2026) Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa, 5782 (3), 490–508. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4