Osedax sp. nov. Fig. 27B, C

Diagnosis.

Siboglinid found colonising fin whale fall. Female living within tube and with ‘root’ structures embedded into bones. Females with crown of four palps fused for much of their length, without obvious pinnules but with distinct blood vessels in live specimens. Trunk short in relation to the length of the palps, ovisac was not observed. Tube: anterior thin, semi-transparent and appearing closed at the tip, posterior tougher and creased. Colour in ethanol pale yellow.

Remarks.

Genetic data confirm that these specimens are a new species that falls within the same clade as other nude palp Osedax species (Georgieva et al. in prep) associated with whale falls.

Records.

More than 20 specimens. Suppl. material 1: op. 100 (NHMUK) (whale bones, MV).