Key to Parapionosyllis species from the Canary Islands

1. Unidentate ventral simple chaetae................................................................................. 2

­ Bidentate ventral simple chaetae ........................... Parapionosyllis abriguensis sp. nov.

2. Dorso­ventral gradation in length of blades of compound chaetae............................... 3

­ Short­bladed compound chaetae, without a dorso­ventral gradation in length of fal­ cigerous blades ............................................................................................. P. labronica

3. Dorsal simple chaeta with 1 thick subdistal spine......................................................... 4

­ Dorsal simple chaetae with 2–3 thick subdistal spines ..................... P.macaronesiensis

4. Blades of the dorsal­most compound chaetae twice as long as the ventralmost blades .. ......................................................................................................................... P.elegans

­ Blades of the dorsal­most compound chaetae more than three times longer than the ventralmost blades ............................................................................................ P. minuta