Vrijenhoekia ketea Summers, Pleijel & Rouse, 2015 species complex Fig. 12F

Diagnosis.

Prostomium rectangular, with two lateral antennae, a very small median antenna, two palps, and a facial tubercle. Palpophores thicker than palpostyles, similar lengths. No eyes. Everted proboscis lacking papilla. Three fused anterior segments. Parapodia uniramous. Dorsal cirri long, especially in segments 1-5. Ventral cirri the same length as neuropodia after segments 1-3, digitiform, and inserted subterminally. Colour in ethanol pale yellow.

Remarks.

The specimen differs from other specimens of the V. ketea species complex in having a larger body, being closer to the size range observed for V. balaenophila (Pleijel et al. 2008).The Vrijenhoekia ketea species complex includes V. ketea Summers, Pleijel & Rouse, 2015, V. falenothiras Summers, Pleijel & Rouse, 2015 and V. ahabi Summers, Pleijel & Rouse, 2015, all from Monterey Canyon off California; they can only be separated based on molecular data (Summers et al. 2015).

Records.

1 specimen. Suppl. material 1: op. 100 (NHMUK).