Abstract
Morphological and genetic investigations have led to the identification of
Spiophanes adriaticus
sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from the North Adriatic Sea (Central Mediterranean). A total ...of 81 specimens were recorded along the sublittoral zone between 8 and 27.5 m of depth. This species differs from other congeners by having: two pairs of black eyes, a cirriform occipital antenna, dorsal ciliated organs as thin bands usually extending to chaetigers 11–12, dorsal ciliated crests from chaetiger 14–17, undulate glandular opening on chaetigers 5–7, unhooded hooks from the 15th chaetiger and Y shaped tubes. A detailed description and illustrations are provided for the new species. Through DNA barcoding results and comparison of DNA sequences of the new species with those of other congeners available in the GenBank database, the validity of the new finding was confirmed.
Spiophanes adriaticus
sp. nov. represents the eighth species of
Spiophanes
recorded for the Mediterranean Sea. A key for the identification of Mediterranean
Spiophanes
species is also provided.
