Journal article

New Laonice species (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from western and northern Australia

Elizabeth Greaves, Karin Meissner, Robin Wilson

ZOOTAXA | MAGNOLIA PRESS | Published : 2011

Abstract

Species belonging to the genus Laonice (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from continental shelf and slope depths off western and northern Australia are described. Three species are new to science (L. lemniscata, L. insolita, L. pectinata), two additional species of uncertain identity are recognised from incomplete material and are similar to existing species. A key is provided to allow identification of all six Laonice species known from Australia. Also, a new standard for the observation of hooded hooks in Laonice is established. One of the Australian species, L. quadridentata, belongs to a group of Laonice species with fused prostomium and peristomium. These species are of great morphological simila..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

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Funding Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge colleagues and crew on board FRV Southern Surveyor for long days of field work off the coast of western and northern Australia, and to Jo Browne and David Staples who sorted the samples. For providing material from their collections we thank Mal Bryant (Queensland Museum), Chris Rowley (Museum Victoria), and Dieter Fiege (Senckenberg Museum). Renate Walter and Frank Friedrich (University of Hamburg) assisted with SEM studies, while Rodrigo Bustamante (CSIRO) made available material from the Gulf of Carpentaria survey he supervised. This work has been funded through the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) program, an Australian Government initiative supporting world class, public good research. The CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub is a collaborative partnership between the University of Tasmania, CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Geoscience Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science and Museum Victoria.