Califia Hartman, 1957 Emended

Blake, James A., 2020, New species and records of deep-water Orbiniidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Eastern Pacific continental slope, abyssal Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea, Zootaxa 4730 (1), pp. 1-61 : 21-22

Genus Califia Hartman, 1957 Emended

Type-species: Califia calida Hartman, 1957 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Prostomium pointed. Peristomium consisting of a single achaetous ring. Transition from thorax to abdomen abrupt due to distinct change in neuropodia. Branchiae from thoracic setiger 8–10; each branchia simple, lanceolate, may be lacking in most of abdominal region. Neuropodia with or without postsetal lobe; subpodial lobes absent. Abdominal segments lacking interramal and ventral cirri. Thoracic setigers 1–3 with dense fascicles of thickened uncini in neuropodia and 0 to few capillaries; 0 to few similar spines or uncini present in subsequent thoracic neuropodia, but capillaries numerous; neuropodial uncini with shafts either smooth or with ribs; tip of shaft with distinct sheath, often frayed, appearing bristled in light microscopy. Thoracic notosetae all capillaries. Abdominal notosetae including capillaries; furcate setae; flail setae present or absent; no uncini; abdominal neurosetae capillaries and imbedded uncini. Pygidium a rounded lobe with two long anal cirri.

Remarks. Specimens of a single species, Califia calida Hartman, 1967 , were found in the present study. The genus is small, with only five known species ( Blake 2017), all characterized by having heavy spines or uncini in the first three thoracic neuropodia, resulting in setigers 1–3 appearing superficially different from other thoracic segments. Pettibone (1957) noted that a few spines were sometimes present among the capillaries of the unmodified setiger 4 of C. schmitti ( Pettibone, 1957) and Blake (2017) observed extra spines on setigers 4–5 of the holotype of C. chilensis Hartman, 1967 . However, the presence and number of extra spines after setiger 3 is variable; only one specimen of C. calida in the present study exhibited an extra transitional spine on setiger 4.