Lepetella sp.

Fig. 3H

Material examined

GALICIA BANK • 1 sh; 42°28.81′ N, 11°50.03′ W; 1410 m; 8 Aug. 2011; BANGAL 0711 DR15; MNCN • 50 spm; 43°00.12′ N, 11°57.67′ W; 1706 m; 29 Jul. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V2; MNCN • 3 sh; 42°56.77′ N, 11°58.53′ W; 1631 m; 2 Aug. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V5; MNCN • 10 spm, 40 sh; 42°41.87′ N, 11°26.71′ W; 1720 m; 8 Aug. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V10; MNCN.

Remarks

Numerous living specimens from 0.4 to 1.7 mm of a Lepetella species were found at depths of 1706 m (V2) and 1720 m (V10), attached to the external surface of empty tubes of the onuphid polychaete Hyalinoecia tubicola (Müller, 1776), which is common on deepest (1470‒1809 m) sedimentary bottoms of the GB (Serrano et al. 2017a). Dantart & Luque (1994), Lima et al. (2015) and Hoffman et al. (2019b) have described some new species of Lepetella in different areas of the Atlantic, and the latter authors mention the possible presence of the dubious taxon L. ionica Nordsieck, 1973 in the GB. Nevertheless, a comparative anatomical and molecular study of these deep-water specimens and specimens of N Atlantic shallower water species of Lepetella is necessary to ascertain if they belong to a different and perhaps undescribed species.