identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
1C24878DA758F00551A0FD32FB2ADE11.text	1C24878DA758F00551A0FD32FB2ADE11.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Laonice Malmgren 1867	<div><p>Genus Laonice Malmgren, 1867</p><p>Diagnosis. Prostomium anteriorly rounded or with slight incurvation, T-shaped or sometimes skittle-shaped, often fused with peristomium by anterolateral corners.Adults with 0–3 pairs of eyespots. Occipital antenna usually present. Caruncle often well pronounced and long, followed by the nuchal organs on the dorsal surface along several anterior chaetigers. Palps without sheath at base. Nuchal organs appear as four ciliary stripes or as a clear pair of ciliary loops along several anterior chaetigers. Peristomium not fused to chaetiger 1. Hooded hooks with primary hood only, generally present in middle and posterior neuropodia (sometimes in the very posterior notopodia). Neuropodial inferior fascicles with sabre chaetae (sometimes whip-like) starting in the anterior part of body. Branchiae from chaetiger 2 and present on several anterior segments (rarely along most of chaetigers). Usually, branchiae not fused to the notopodial postchaetal lamellae but sometimes fused basally in posterior branchiate segments ( L. blakei). Lateral (genital) pouches present on a varying number of segments and appearing as folds between the neuropodia of neighbouring segments (sometimes including most anterior ones, but sometimes absent).Anus terminal, surrounded by two small ventral papilliform cirri, usually closely arranged to each other, and several pairs of longer dorsal cirri.</p><p>The proposed subgeneric organization will be discussed in the “ Conclusions ” section below.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C24878DA758F00551A0FD32FB2ADE11	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Sikorski, Andrey V.;Ravara, Ascensão;Pavlova, Lyudmila V.;Lampadariou, Nikolaos;Cunha, Marina R.	Sikorski, Andrey V., Ravara, Ascensão, Pavlova, Lyudmila V., Lampadariou, Nikolaos, Cunha, Marina R. (2026): Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 5782 (3): 490-508, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4
1C24878DA758F00651A0FABEFEB7D9F1.text	1C24878DA758F00651A0FABEFEB7D9F1.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Laonice gadirensis Sikorski, Ravara & Pavlova 2026	<div><p>Laonice gadirensis Sikorski, Ravara &amp; Pavlova sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2F3592F5-0CE4-4B93-809B-0F030F899C44</p><p>Figure 2 (A–L)</p><p>Material examined. Holotype. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.7848167&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294884" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.7848167/lat 35.294884)">NE Atlantic</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.7848167&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294884" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.7848167/lat 35.294884)">Gulf of Cadiz</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.7848167&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294884" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.7848167/lat 35.294884)">Pen Duick Escarpment</a>, R.V. Prof. Logachev, 27.05.2006, TTR16_AT602, 35°17.693’ N, 6°47.089’ W, 556 m (complete but fragmented spm, DBUA 2253.01).</p><p>Paratypes. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.65215&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.65215/lat 35.294285)">NE Atlantic</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.65215&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.65215/lat 35.294285)">Gulf of Cadiz</a>: same as holotype (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2253.02); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.65215&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.65215/lat 35.294285)">flank of Mercator mud volcano</a>, R.V. Prof. Logachev, 26.07.2005, TTR15_AT576, 35°17.657’ N, 6°39.129’ W, 428 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 3336.01); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-6.65215&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.294285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -6.65215/lat 35.294285)">crater of Mercator mud volcano</a>, R.V. Maria S. Merian, 6.05.2006, MSM01- 03 _241, 35°17.918’ N, 6°38.717’ W, 353 m (2 incomplete spms, DBUA 3337.01) .</p><p>Diagnosis. Antero-lateral corners of prostomium anteriorly fused to peristomium by very thin and nearly inconspicuous folds. Occipital antennae mid-size. NO = 8. Br = 30. Transverse dorsal crests absent. LP = 26. NotoHH present from the 22 nd chaetiger counting from pygidium, up to 4 per notopodium; neuroHH = 37, QHH = 8–10; SC = 24, QSC = 1 (sometimes 2). Pygidium with two stubby ventral lobes and 4 pairs of dorsal cirri.</p><p>Description. Holotype (largest specimen) complete but broken in five fragments, consisting in a total of 132 chaetigers (9 in anterior fragment, 42, 21 and 20 in middle fragments, and 40 in posterior fragment—all segments of specimen assumed to be present), 1 mm wide. Four paratypes, smaller and incomplete, in poor condition not allowing to obtain an information about any significant numeric characters.</p><p>Prostomium longer than wide, bell-shaped, anterior margin nearly twice as wide and ending in antero-lateral horns (Fig. 2A). Anterior middle incision present due to middle longitudinal dorsal concavity along prostomium. Antero-lateral corners of prostomium connecting to peristomium by very thin and nearly inconspicuous ventral folds hidden in the groove between prostomium and peristomium similar to that described for the species L. rossica in Sikorski (2003b, Fig. 1c). One pair of large posterior reddish-brown median eyes, set on the posterior half of prostomium (Fig. 2A). One pair of antero-lateral very small black eyespots are also visible and well separated from the pair of median eyespots, often deeply embedded inside epithelium and hardly discernible (Fig. 2A). Occipital antenna mid-sized, placed just behind the median eyes (Fig. 2A). Back of prostomium extending posteriorly as a caruncle surrounded by double U-shaped ciliary nuchal organs up to chaetiger 8. Nuchal organs strongly undulated along the first four chaetigers (Fig. 2A). Palps missing.</p><p>Body segments short closely packed together, with small distances between parapodia. On post-branchiate segments (unlike the other, more anterior segments), the dorsal region of the worm appears very convex, while the parapodia are shifted toward the ventral side of body. As a result, in lateral view the upper edge of the notopodial lamellae always appears to be at a level significantly lower than the dorsal surface (Fig. 2F–G).</p><p>Branchiae present from chaetiger 2 to 30 (missing on chaetiger 2 in all specimens examined, however scars are possible to see), free from and longer than notopodial postchaetal lamellae, significantly increasing length on the chaetigers following the end of the nuchal organs and becoming more than twice as long as the notopodial postchaetal lamellae after chaetiger 10–12 (Fig. 2C–E).</p><p>Notopodial postchaetal lamellae longest at chaetigers 3–4 and gradually diminishing posteriorly. Anterior four pairs of notopodial postchaetal lamellae with moderately pronounced upper tips, while subsequent lamellae have broadly oval upper margins and tiny-sized pointed tips (Figs. 2C–E), gradually shifting laterally towards the end of branchiate region (Fig. 2D–E). Transverse dorsal crests absent. Neuropodial postchaetal lamellae auricular-shaped throughout body and directed upwards, with lateral acute tips shifting gradually towards the middle of lateral margin of notopodial postchaetal lamellae at the end of branchiate region (Figs 2C–G —arrows). Lateral (genital) inter-neuropodial pouches present from chaetiger 26 (detectable only in holotype) up to the posterior end of body.</p><p>Anterior parapodia with capillary chaetae arranged in two vertical rows in both rami of parapodia. Neuropodial hooded hooks from chaetiger 37 (detectable only in holotype), 2 per neuropodium in the beginning and up to 8–10 per neuropodium in the following chaetigers (9 in the holotype). It is difficult to detect the exact chaetiger where hooded hooks appear in neuropodia due to broken chaetae and because of the tight fit of neighbouring parapodia to each other. Neuropodial hooks tridentate, with one pair of apical teeth above main fang (they may look bidentate in lateral view, Fig. 2I, but the third tooth is clearly visible in face view, Fig. 2J —supposedly this third upper apical tooth can be paired as well). Notopodial hooded hooks appearing from chaetiger 111—chaetiger 22 (counting from pygidium), up to 4 per notopodium. Notopodial hooks are tetradentate (appearing tridentate in lateral view, Fig. 2K) with the main fang surmounted by a pair of small apical teeth and a single tooth above them (Fig. 2L). 1 or 2 sabre chaetae first appearing in the lower part of the neuropodial fascicle (Fig. 2E–G) from chaetiger 24.</p><p>Pygidium with two stubby ventral lobes and four pairs of dorsal cirri arranged around terminal anus (Fig. 2B).</p><p>Methyl green staining. Clear staining present on the upper anterior side of the notopodial postchaetal lamellae, from chaetiger 2 to 13 (Fig. 2H), as a small but clear spot behind occipital antenna, and quite intensive on the two ventral lobes of pygidium. A diffuse staining is also visible on the ventral side (except in the middle area of segments) from chaetiger 28 up to approximately chaetiger 42.</p><p>Distribution. NE Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Cadiz: Pen Duick Escarpment (type locality) and Mercator mud volcano, from 353 to 556 m depth.</p><p>Etymology. The species name “gadirensis ” comes from the Phoenician “Gadir”, the original name for Cadiz.</p><p>Remarks. Laonice gadirensis sp. nov., belongs to the group of Laonice species characterized by having prostomium and peristomium anteriorly connected by very thin and sometimes hardly detectable folds hidden in the groove between prostomium and peristomium, by the absence of continuous transverse dorsal crests in midbody segments, and by the presence of notopodial hooded hooks in several most posterior chaetigers. This group includes the species: L. sarsi Söderström, 1920; L. antarcticae Hartman, 1953; L. dayianum Sikorski, 1997; L. rossica Sikorski, 2003; L. olgae Sikorski &amp; Pavlova, 2016; L. alberti Sikorski, Langeneck &amp; Pavlova in Sikorski et al., 2021 and L. apicelamella Sikorski, Pavlova, Martin &amp; Gil, 2023.</p><p>From these species, only L. sarsi, L. dayianum and L. alberti are known from the Northern Atlantic, and just L. alberti is known from the Mediterranean Sea. The most significant distinguishing characteristic between L. sarsi (described from west Sweden) and L. gadirensis sp. nov.,. is the length of the branchiae, which are not so long in L. sarsi, only slightly surpassing the notopodial postchaetal lamellae, while the branchiae of L. gadirensis sp. nov., are up to more than twice as long as the notopodial lamellae. Laonice gadirensis sp. nov., can also be confidently distinguished from L. sarsi by the presence of a clear pronounced undulation on the anterior half of the nuchal organs, while there is no trace of such undulation in L. sarsi . If compared, the NO may be less variable in L. gadirensis sp. nov., (8) than in L. sarsi (2–14), although there cannot be complete confidence in this character due to the insufficient number of measurements for L. gadirensis sp. nov. Another difference between L. sarsi and L. gadirensis sp. nov., is the apical teeth in the neuropodial hooks look often not paired in L. sarsi (unlike L. gadirensis sp. nov.).</p><p>Laonice antarcticae has lateral pouches that appear much earlier—from chaetiger 3–4 (chaetiger 26 in L. gadirensis sp. nov.). L. dayianum, described from the northwest Atlantic Ocean, differs from L. gadirensis sp. nov., by lacking the prostomial occipital antenna, and by the longer nuchal organ (up to chaetiger 12–14 on specimens of 0.8 mm width), comparing to L. gadirensis sp. nov., (up to chaetiger 8 on specimens of 1 mm width). Besides the presence of a clearly pronounced undulation in the anterior half of the nuchal organs, the only available numeric distinguishing character between L. gadirensis sp. nov., and L. rossica (described from the Far East Pacific Ocean) seems to be the sequential number of the chaetiger where lateral pouches first appear. The holotype of L. gadirensis sp. nov., is 1 mm wide and has lateral pouches from chaetiger 26, while in L. rossica the lateral pouches appear from chaetiger 26 only in much larger specimens (1.5 mm wide and larger). These two species are quite closely related morphologically. There are even signs of some undulation (though not nearly as pronounced) in the nuchal organ of L. rossica (see Figs 1 а and 1б in Sikorski, 2003b). However, even lacking clear differences in numeric characters, it should be noted that specimens of L. rossica (which can reach much larger sizes—up to 3.4 mm width) do not have body segments so short and so closely packed together. Specimens of L. rossica could be distinguished from L. gadirensis sp. nov., by the shape of, for example, neuropodial lamellae on the segments of the posterior half of the body, which usually have clearly well-developed upper part just above the bundle of neuropodial chaetae unlike in L. gadirensis sp. nov., (compare Fig. 2F and 2G for L. gadirensis sp. nov., with Figs 1 е–1З in Sikorski, 2003b for L. rossica).</p><p>Also L. gadirensis sp. nov., is morphologically very close to L. alberti described from the Mediterranean Sea and presumably inhabiting also the Mercator mud volcano. This species differs from L. alberti by NO = 8 (5–7 in L. alberti), by Br = 30 (more than 39 in L. alberti) and by the staining pattern with methyl green (staining absent in L. alberti). A molecular analysis would be desirable in order to determine the exact taxonomic allocation of the specimen from the Mercator mud volcano mentioned in Sikorski et al. (2021). Currently, only the presence of a remarkable undulation in the anterior half of the nuchal organs and the absence of a significant enlargement of the notopodial postchaetal lamellae on chaetigers 3 and 4 can be considered as reliable characters allowing to recognize L. gadirensis sp. nov., from L. olgae . Finally, the undulation in the anterior half of the nuchal organs and the absence of pronounced pointed peaks on the margins of notopodial postchaetal lamellae differ L. gadirensis sp. nov., from L. apicelamella .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C24878DA758F00651A0FABEFEB7D9F1	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Sikorski, Andrey V.;Ravara, Ascensão;Pavlova, Lyudmila V.;Lampadariou, Nikolaos;Cunha, Marina R.	Sikorski, Andrey V., Ravara, Ascensão, Pavlova, Lyudmila V., Lampadariou, Nikolaos, Cunha, Marina R. (2026): Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 5782 (3): 490-508, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4
1C24878DA75BF00B51A0FCDAFBB1D805.text	1C24878DA75BF00B51A0FCDAFBB1D805.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Laonice kithirensis Sikorski, Ravara & Pavlova 2026	<div><p>Laonice kithirensis Sikorski, Ravara &amp; Pavlova sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 43A8FB84-CB43-4249-BB43-B40D51F6A4E</p><p>Figure 3 (A–O)</p><p>Material examined. Holotype. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.317217&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.299366" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.317217/lat 35.299366)">Mediterranean Sea</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.317217&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.299366" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.317217/lat 35.299366)">Kithira-Antikithira strait</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 29.05.2011, 2011Red_ 3-1BC38, 35°17.962’ N, 23°19.033’ E, 3302 m (presumably 1 complete but fragmented spm—7 fragments, DBUA 2252.09)..</p><p>Paratypes. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Mediterranean Sea</a>: <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Kithira-Antikithira strait</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 29.05.2011, 2011Red_3-1BC39, 35°18.159’ N, 23°18.750’ E, 3301 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.03); same, 28.05.2011, 2011Red_3BC29, 35°24.096’ N, 23°24.123’ E, 2960 m (2 incomplete spms, DBUA 2252.08); same, 28.05.2011, 2011Red_3BC31, 35°24.119’ N, 23°24.586’ E, 2973 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.07); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Ierapetra basin</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 31.05.2010, 2010Red_3-1BC40, 35°18.103’ N, 23°18.927’ E, 3315 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2251.02); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Cretan Sea</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 26.05.2011, 2011Red_4BC11, 35°45.837’ N, 25°06.034’ E, 1610 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.01); same, 2011Red_4BC13, 35°45.784’ N, 25°05.970’ E, 1604 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.05); same, 2011Red_ 8BC15, 36°04.522’ N, 25°16.949’ E, 1734 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.02). <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Kithira-Antikithira strait</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 29.05.2011, 2011Red_3-1BC40, 35°17.902’ N, 23°19.160’ E, 3303 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2252.04); same, 28.05.2011, 2011Red_3BC30, 35°24.168’ N, 23°24.291’ E, 2969 m (2 incomplete spms, DBUA 2252.06); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=23.409767&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=35.401985" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 23.409767/lat 35.401985)">Ierapetra basin</a>, R.V. Aegaeo, 26.05.2010, 2010Red_2-1BC5, 33°42.947’ N, 26°20.569’ E, 2712 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2251.01) .</p><p>Non type material. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">NE Atlantic</a>, off Portugal: <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">Setúbal submarine canyon</a>, R.V. Pelagia, 17.09.2006, 64PE252_ 61BC1, 1–7 cm in the sediment, 38°17.10’ N, 9°5.98’ W, 970 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2249.01); <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">Cascais submarine canyon</a>, R.V. Pelagia, 18.09.2006, 64PE252_36BC2, 1–3 cm in the sediment, 38°27.89’ N, 09°28.51’ W, 935 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2249.02). <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">NE Atlantic</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">Gulf of Cádiz</a>, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-9.099667&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.285" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -9.099667/lat 38.285)">Pen Duick Escarpment</a>, R.V. Prof. Logachev, 27.05.2006, TTR16_AT602, 35°17.693’ N, 6°47.089’ W, 556 m (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 2248.01) .</p><p>Diagnosis. Prostomium and peristomium not fused. Occipital antenna from tuberculate to moderately developed. NO = 2–5. Br = 38–42. Transverse dorsal crests present on midbody postbranchiate segments. LP = 26–41. NotoHH absent; neuroHH = 20–44, QHH = 3–8; SC = 11–27, QSC = 1–2. Pygidium with two stubby ventral lobes and at least three pairs of dorsal cirri.</p><p>Description. Holotype presumably complete but broken in seven fragments, consisting in a total of ca. 140 chaetigers (10 in anterior fragment, 29, 25, 9, 9 and 6 in middle fragments, and 21 in posterior fragment), 0.9 mm wide. However, the poor condition of the material does not allow to be certain that all middle fragments listed belong to the same specimen, and therefore to determine with certainty the precise length and total number of chaetigers of holotype. Two loose palps were also found along with the holotype fragments. All 11 paratypes and the four non type specimens are incomplete.</p><p>Prostomium longer than wide, triangular or bell-shaped, with slight notch on anterior margin, not fused with peristomium at antero-lateral corners. In lateral view, the prostomium line forms an obtuse angle with the horizontal axis of the dorsum, very close to a right angle (Fig. 3B), which is typical of the species. This angle is much less marked in specimens with the pharynx fully or partially everted (e.g., the holotype, Fig. 3D). One pair of small median eyes set on the posterior half of prostomium (Fig. 3A–B, D). One pair of very small lateral eyespots sometimes visible in small specimens. Occipital antenna moderately developed in holotype, but shorter in some other specimens (tuberculate in some specimens), located further behind the eyes, in front of the first parapodia (Fig. 3B). U-shaped nuchal organs extending up to chaetigers 2–5 (depending on worm size), with posterior edge often poorly visible on the available specimens (Fig. 3A, D). Caruncle not clearly detectable, despite the widely spaced loops of the nuchal organ. Palps thick and long, reaching chaetiger 20 when extended.</p><p>Widest part of body located immediately behind the prostomium, for about seven segments. Body segments short, with the parapodia very close to each other.</p><p>Branchiae present from chaetiger 2 to 38– 42 in specimens wider than 0.8 mm (difficult to observe due to the poor condition of the examined spms), and to chaetiger 15 in smaller specimens less than 0.5 mm wide. Branchiae free, acute, ca. two thirds the length or as long as the notopodial postchaetal lamellae on chaetiger 2 (Fig. 3F), increasing in length posteriorly to being remarkably longer than notopodial postchaetal lamellae at about chaetiger 15 (Fig. 3H), being approximately twice as long as notopodial postchaetal lamellae in some specimens. and then gradually diminishing towards the end of branchiate region with the last pair being half the length of the notopodial lamellae.</p><p>Notopodial postchaetal lamellae of the branchiate region auricular- or bean-shaped with an extended upper part, relatively large and slightly bent towards the dorsal side of body (Fig. 3G–H). On chaetiger 1 and sometimes 2, lamellae with narrow acute tips (Fig. 3F). From chaetiger 2 to 12 outer edge of lamellae widely rounded (Fig. 3G), while from chaetiger 13 (10 in small specimens) a weakly pronounced lateral peak appears (Fig. 3H), gradually increasing in size in subsequent segments (Fig. 3I–J). Height of upper part of lamellae decreasing posteriorly in the branchiate region. Notopodial lamellae of posterior fragment poorly developed (only visible on the fourth chaetiger, counting from pygidium, Fig. 3K) or missing (apparently torn off). Continuous transverse dorsal crests connecting the notopodial postchaetal lamellae occur in the segments following the branchiate region (from chaetiger 45 in largest specimen) and visible at least up to chaetiger 51 (Fig. 3C) (especially well visible in specimen DBUA 2248.01). These crests are low, pressed to body and lower dorsally in the middle region compared to lateral sides. In smaller specimens such continuous transdorsal crests were not detected. Crests not found in holotype due to poor condition of its dorsal integument. Neuropodial postchaetal lamellae auricular-shaped with a broadly rounded upper edge from chaetigers 1 to 11 (Fig. 3F–G), quite large from chaetiger 4 and especially large after chaetiger 11 up to the end of branchiate region, after which they decrease in size by at least 3 times up to the pygidium (Fig. 3I–K). The lamellae might have been torn off in the cases they are not visible in the very posterior segments. Lateral inter-neuropodial pouches barely detectable, from chaetigers 26–41 in the larger specimens (33–35 in holotype, hardly visible due to poor condition of the spm), or earlier in smaller specimens. It was unclear how far from the tail lateral pouches disappearing. They were not visible on the posterior fragments of holotype.</p><p>Capillaries in noto- and neuropodia arranged in two vertical rows. Notopodial and neuropodial fascicles of chaetae in branchiate region posterior to chaetiger 12 very close together, appearing to overlap in such way that the chaetal fascicles often appear as lumped together or as a one single fascicle. Notopodial hooded hooks absent. Neuropodial hooded hooks first appearing on chaetigers 20–44 (42 in holotype, 20 in the smallest specimen of 0.2 mm wide), with up to 3–8 per neuropodium (size dependent character). Since the parapodia of adjacent segments are very close to each other, it may be difficult to detect precisely the exact segment on which the neuropodial hooks first appear. Neuropodial hooks tridentate with a pair of apical teeth above a main fang (hooks may look bidentate in lateral view, Fig. 3L, but the third tooth is clearly visible in the face view, Fig. 3M). Sabre chaetae from chaetigers 11–27 (11 in the smallest specimen of 0.2 mm wide), 1–2 per fascicle.</p><p>Only existing pygidium poorly preserved and requiring staining with methyl green to reveal the cirri attachment sites (Fig. 3E), showing two stubby ventral lobes and at least three pairs of dorsal cirri.</p><p>Methyl green staining. Clear staining presents on notopodial postchaetal lamellae from chaetiger 3 to 8 in small specimens. Large specimens do not show any special staining pattern of parapodial lamellae. More intensive stained stripes are present ventrally from chaetiger 11 to approximately 38, flanking a faintly stained median longitudinal line (Fig. 3O). Peristomium with a ventral thin bright stripe of staining around mouth (Fig. 3N). Holotype with a bright staining area on dorsum behind the nuchal organs and branchiae, but this may be due to damage of the dorsal integument.</p><p>Etymology. The species is named after the island Kithira, in Greece, lying opposite the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese Peninsula, near which the sample containing the holotype was collected.</p><p>Distribution. Mediterranean Sea, around the island of Crete: Kithira-Antikithira strait (type locality), Ierapetra basin, Cretan Sea, from 1604 to 3315 m depth. NE Atlantic: Setúbal and Cascais submarine canyons, off Portugal, from 935 to 970 m depth; Pen Duick Escarpment, Gulf of Cádiz, at 556 m depth.</p><p>Remarks. Laonice kithirensis sp. nov. is morphologically close to the six species presently affiliated with the subgenus Sarsiana (this sometimes seemed doubtful before) and characterized by:</p><p>i) prostomium completely separated from peristomium at anterolateral corners ( Sikorski et al. 2023);</p><p>ii) notopodial hooks lacking;</p><p>iii) presence of clearly pronounced continuous transdorsal crests in several postbranchiate segments.</p><p>These species are L. japonica (Moore, 1907), L. papillibranchiae Ward, 1981, L. sinica Sikorski &amp; Wu, 1998, L. magnacristata Maciolek, 2000, L. junoyi Aguirrezabalaga &amp; Ceberio, 2005 and L. (S.) andamanica Sikorski, Pavlova, Martin &amp; Gil, 2023 (see below “ Discussion and conclusions ” sections for more details).</p><p>Laonice japonica is clearly different from L. kithirensis sp. nov., by longer NO (18), earlier appearance of SC (11) and LP (4). L. papillibranchiae, maybe due to its smaller size, demonstrates an earlier appearance of neuroHH (15–19), SC (9–12) and LP (12), as well as an earlier disappearance of Br (15–17). L. sinica has a longer NO (8–11) and a much earlier start of LP (5–9). All known specimens of L. magnacristata are very small (less than 0.5 mm wide) and with lower average values for all numerical characters when compared to L. kithirensis sp. nov., neuroHH = 18–19, NO = 2, Br = 8, SC = 6, and LP = 7. L. junoyi nearly lacks branchiae (on chaetiger 2 only—see Diaz-Diaz et al. 2018); SC = 10–12 and LP appearing much earlier (from chaetiger 8–9) when compared to L. kithirensis sp. nov. Finally, L. andamanica has NO longer and notopodial postchaetal lamellae of posterior branchiate chaetigers of a very characteristic shape having several notopodial postchaetal lamellae with pointed tips elongated into narrow long lanceolate processes with length equal to the body width.</p><p>Laonice (S.) whittardensis Sikorski, Gunton, &amp; Pavlova, 2017, with prostomium free from peristomium, also needs to be compared with this species: L. whittardensis is known from small specimens (less than 0.4 mm wide) with lower average values for nearly all numerical characters than in L. kithirensis sp. nov.: neuroHH = 15–16, Br = 16–17, SC = 6–9 and LP = 3.</p><p>A clear feature of L. kithirensis sp. nov., expressed in most of type specimens with pharynx not everted is that in lateral view the prostomium forms an angle very close to 90° with the horizontal (Fig. 3B). This character can be recommended as a key feature for the species.</p><p>The presence of disjunct populations of this new species in both Greek and Portuguese waters requires further investigation. At the beginning of the present work, the Portuguese material was allocated as a separate species. However, as the work progressed it became clear that it was not possible to distinguish that material from the one obtained in south of Greece with base only on morphology. This is exactly the case when molecular analyses methods are required in the decision-making process. Despite this, for the time being both Greek and Portuguese material are here considered as belonging to the same species due to the lack of any morphological reasons for separating them. However, only Greek specimens were registered as a type material.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C24878DA75BF00B51A0FCDAFBB1D805	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Sikorski, Andrey V.;Ravara, Ascensão;Pavlova, Lyudmila V.;Lampadariou, Nikolaos;Cunha, Marina R.	Sikorski, Andrey V., Ravara, Ascensão, Pavlova, Lyudmila V., Lampadariou, Nikolaos, Cunha, Marina R. (2026): Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 5782 (3): 490-508, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4
1C24878DA756F00D51A0FC42FC58DE0D.text	1C24878DA756F00D51A0FC42FC58DE0D.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Laonice moroccensis Sikorski, Ravara & Pavlova 2026	<div><p>Laonice moroccensis Sikorski, Ravara &amp; Pavlova sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 42692307-6389-4A08-848D-E25CE59A32ED</p><p>Figure 4 (A–K)</p><p>Material examined. Holotype. <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-12.926111&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=27.939444" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -12.926111/lat 27.939444)">NE Atlantic</a>, off Morocco, ~ 100 km NE of Tarfaya (approximate location: 27°56′22″ N, 12°55′34″ W), December 2013, GARTARO 114, ENV 09, 37142 MFA, ~ 100 m depth, sand (complete spm, DBUA 3338.01).</p><p>Paratypes. Same as holotype, GARTARO 114, ENV 09, 37142 MFA (1 incomplete spm, DBUA 3338.02); GARTARO 114, ENV 098, 37143 JST (1 complete spm, DBUA 3338.03) .</p><p>Diagnosis. Prostomium anteriorly fused with peristomium. Occipital antenna very small. NO = 10. Br = 15–18, free. Transverse dorsal crests absent. LP absent. NotoHH present from chaetiger 11 counting from pygidium, 1–2 per notopodium; neuroHH = 22–23, QHH = 4; SC = 14–16, QSC = 1. Pygidium with one pair of ventral lobes and 1–2 pairs of dorsal cirri.</p><p>Description. Holotype complete with 73 chaetigers, 16 mm long, 0.45 mm wide. Two paratypes, one complete with 68 chaetigers, 14 mm long, 0.45 mm wide, and one incomplete, 0.6 mm wide.</p><p>Prostomium broadly rounded anteriorly, bell-shaped, completely fused with peristomium at the antero-lateral corners in dorsal view (Fig. 4A–B). Anteriorly bordering tissue between prostomium and peristomium more transparent, likely being much thinner (Fig. 4A). One pair (the posterior one) of large bright brown median eyes set on the posterior half of prostomium (Fig. 4A–B). One pair of small and not so bright lateral eyespots visible in holotype, much anterior to the median eyes, and close to the groove between prostomium and peristomium (Fig. 4B–C). Occipital antenna very small (Fig. 4A–B). U-shaped nuchal organs extending to chaetiger 10 (Fig. 4A). Palps short, extending to chaetiger 2 (Fig. 4B–C) (present in holotype only).</p><p>Branchiae present from chaetiger 2 to 15–18 (15 in the holotype), free, from chaetiger 4–5 surpassing the notopodial postchaetal lamellae by up to one quarter of their own length (Fig. 4F) and becoming shorter than notopodial lamellae again on the last two branchiate segments (Fig. 4G).</p><p>Notopodial postchaetal lamellae of triangular leaflike shape in anterior part of body (Fig. 4A–C, F). Four anterior pairs of notopodial postchaetal lamellae narrowing into clearly pointed tips (Fig. 4A), subsequent lamellae up to chaetiger 17 more blunt (Fig. 4A, F). From chaetiger 18, notopodial postchaetal lamellae rounded (Fig. 4G– H), becoming a small triangle in the posteriormost chaetigers (Fig. 4I). Transverse dorsal crests absent. Neuropodial postchaetal lamellae of triangular shape with acute tips up to chaetiger 16 or 19 (Fig. 4F–G), becoming irregularly rounded further backwards (Fig. 4H) and roughly triangular in the posteriormost chaetigers (Fig. 4I). Lateral inter-neuropodial pouches absent.</p><p>Neuropodial and notopodial capillary chaetae in anterior part of body arranged in two vertical rows. Notopodial capillaries oriented laterally and upward in branchiate segments, becoming almost twice as long and oriented laterally (perpendicular to the body axis) in the postbranchiate segments. Notopodial hooded hooks appear on chaetiger 11 counting from the pygidium in both complete specimens—from chaetiger 58–63 (holotype and paratype DBUA 3338.03) and present on the following six segments, 1–2 per notopodium (Fig. 4I). Notopodial hooks look unidentate, but the tip does not appear smooth, resembling to bear very short, blunt teeth (Fig 4K). Neuropodial hooks from chaetiger 22–23 (22 in holotype), up to five (three in holotype) per neuropodium (Fig. 4H–I). Neuropodial hooks tridentate with one pair of apical teeth above main fang (it may look bidentate in lateral view, Fig. 4J, but the third tooth is clearly visible in face view). Sabre chaetae from chaetiger 14–16 (14 in the holotype), one per neuropodium.</p><p>Pygidium with one pair of ventral lobes and 1–2 pairs of dorsal cirri (Fig. 4D, E).</p><p>Methyl green staining. No special staining pattern detected.</p><p>Distribution. NE Atlantic Ocean: NE off Tarfaya, Morocco, at ~ 100 m depth.</p><p>Etymology. The new species is named after the country closest to its type locality, Morocco.</p><p>Remarks. The prostomium and peristomium in Laonice moroccensis sp. nov., are clearly fused at the anterolateral corners (plainly visible in dorsal view), a character previously considered to be characteristic only of species of the subgenus Laonice . However, L. moroccensis sp. nov., has comparatively short nuchal organs and hooks on the posteriormost notopodia, which undoubtedly places it in the subgenus Sarsiana . It also lacks dorsal crests (unlike representatives of erected in this paper new subgenus Wubaolingia). The obvious complete fusion between the anterior margins of prostomium and peristomium (instead of the fusion only by a thin membrane hidden in the groove between both) could be explained by a high variability of the degree of fusion within this subgeneric group of species, ranging from just a thin membrane hidden in a groove between prostomium and peristomium to a complete fusion between both along the anterior margin.</p><p>Considering the previous conclusion, it is possible to suggest that some species of the genus Laonice with a previous uncertain subgeneric affiliation (such as L. branchiata Nonato, Bolívar &amp; Lana, 1986 —see Fig. 1E in Sikorski (2011), L. shamrockensis Sikorski, 2003, L. asaccata Sigvaldadóttir &amp; Desbruyères, 2003, L. pinnulata Radashevsky &amp; Lana, 2009, L. cricketae Sikorski &amp; Pavlova, 2016 and L. plumisetosa Bogantes, Halanych &amp; Meissner, 2018) may also belong to the subgenus Sarsiana, although some of them could also be better placed in the subgenus Laonice . Confirmation of this assumption requires further molecular evidence in addition to just morphological examinations. However, this conclusion definitely allows us to place L. moroccensis sp. nov., in the subgenus Sarsiana . It should be noted that this species is morphologically close to L. branchiata, with the latter being larger in size, and without precise data on the presence or absence of notopodial hooks in the very posterior chaetigers of it.</p><p>It is also necessary to add that the lack of lateral inter-neuropodial pouches seems to be the clearest key character of this species. Presently, the only other known species belonging to subgenus Sarsiana described as lacking lateral inter-neuropodial pouches is L. asaccata . The species was found in vent fields in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and differs from L. moroccensis sp. nov., by having much shorter nuchal organs (reaching chaetiger 4), a higher number of branchiae and by the absence of notopodial hooks. It is possible to speculate that the presence or absence of lateral pouches might be subject to variation within a population (size-dependent variations are also likely to occur in these cases), but a firm statement cannot be made without further evidence.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C24878DA756F00D51A0FC42FC58DE0D	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Sikorski, Andrey V.;Ravara, Ascensão;Pavlova, Lyudmila V.;Lampadariou, Nikolaos;Cunha, Marina R.	Sikorski, Andrey V., Ravara, Ascensão, Pavlova, Lyudmila V., Lampadariou, Nikolaos, Cunha, Marina R. (2026): Three new species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 5782 (3): 490-508, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.3.4
