SPECIES OF NEREIDIDAE (POLYCHAETA) FROM THE CAPBRETON CANYON (BAY OF BISCAY, NE ATLANTIC)
Núñez, J.1, Aguirrezabalaga, F. 2 & Ceberio, A. 2
1Departamento de Biología Animal (Zoología), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
2Sociedad Cultural INSUB, Zemoria 12, Aptdo. 3223, 20013 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Macrobenthic assemblages of the Capbreton Canyon (SE part of the Bay of Biscay) were surveyed in 1987-1990 from the research vessel RV Côte d'Aquitaine. Some results on the polychaete fauna are given in papers by Rallo, García-Arberas, San Martín, and others. Samples were taken at 7 study sites at depths of 480-1040 m. Sampling gear consisted of a Sanders-Hessler grab equipped with a 0.5 mm mesh, a Reineck box corer, and a Marinovitch trawl. A total of 16 nereidids belonging to 5 species were collected: Ceratocephale loveni Malmgren, 1867, C. cf. pacifica Hartman, 1960, C. cf. andaman Hylleberg & Nateewathana, 1988, Nicon sinica Wu & Sun, 1979, and Eunereis longissima (Johnston, 1840). Three species are new to the Atlantic: C. cf. pacifica, C. cf. andaman, and N. sinica; and one, C. loveni, is newly reported for the Iberian fauna. The five species are described, some important anatomical differences and similarities are pointed out, and the taxonomic relationships are discussed.