Hernández-Alcántara, P.; Solis-Weiss, V. 2011. Trochochaeta mexicana, a new species from an unusual family of Polychaeta, with comments on the world distribution of Trochochaetidae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 91(2): 403-413

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Publication

Polychaeta database

The small, monogeneric family of polychaetes known as Trochochaetidae has been exclusively collected in the northern hemisphere, mainly in temperate-cold environments. Nine species have been described so far including Trochochaeta mexicana sp. nov. described herein, while one species remains unnamed. Only two species had previously been recorded in the eastern Pacific, so T. mexicana sp. nov. is the first record for the family in the tropical Mexican Biogeographic Province. The new species is characterized by having a pair of eyes, acicular neurochaetae on chaetigers 2 and 3, a small knob-like antenna and a nuchal crest projecting through chaetiger 1. Trochochaeta mexicana sp. nov., together with Trochochaeta kirkegaardi, Trochochaeta diverapoda and Trochochaeta cirrifera are the only trochochaetids that have been found exclusively in warm environments.

Polychaeta

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