Pholoides sp. Fig. 29F

Diagnosis.

Specimen small, incomplete, 24 chaetigers and only seven pairs of elytra remaining. Elytra with concentric rings, simple marginal and submarginal papillae, and sand grains attached to surface. Single median antenna attached anteriorly on prostomium. Lateral antennae absent. Tentacular segment with single tentacular cirrus, similar to antenna, chaetae present. Two minute pairs of prostomial eyes, each pair very close, but not overlapping. Notochaetae spinulose capillaries; neurochaetae short-bladed compound falcigers with unidentate tips, most with smooth blades and some with smooth shafts, some in anterior chaetigers with faintly serrated longer blades and subdistally serrated shafts. Ventrum papillate.

Remarks.

Pholoides mendeleevi Averincev, 1978 was described from southern Australian waters in depths of <730 m, and that author’s illustrations bear some resemblance to this specimen. Other Pholoides specimens have also been collected from eastern Australia, mostly in Bass Strait at a depth of 120 m during a cruise by the RV ‘Tangaroa’ in 1981, which may represent a new species (Hutchings et al. in prep.). However, the identification here is tentative as the incomplete specimen cannot be ascribed to either species.

Records.

1 specimen. Suppl. material 1: op. 100.