Miscellanea dentata gen. et sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Syllidae) from the Spanish Mediterranean coast

Abstract

Introduction A number of peculiar and small Syllidae were found during biological surveys of the coasts of Catalunya, the Balearic Islands, and the Strait of Gibraltar regions (Spain). They were classified initially as juvenile specimens of Pionosyllis spp. (Banse 1959; Sarda-Borroy 1984; Martin-Sintes 1987). Pionosyllis is a heterogeneous complex which has generated new genera or has transferred species to related ones in former revisions (Pierantoni 1903; Hartman 1959, 1965; Hartmann-Schroder 1974). We used scanning electron microscopy as an essential tool to study their morphological characters. Subsequently it became obvious to us that the specimens were not juveniles, and that they differed morphologically from all previously described genera and species. However similarities can be found with species of Pionosyllis, Tripanosyllis, Dioplosyllis, Pseudosyllis, Pseudosyllides, Eusyflis or Petitia. A new genus and species of Syllidae is described.