Golfingia margaritacea (Sars)

Cutler, Edward B., Schulze, Anja & Dean, Harlan K., 2004, Zealand species, Zootaxa 525, pp. 1-19 : 6-7

Golfingia margaritacea (Sars)

Sipunculus margaritaceus Sars, 1851:196 –197.

Type locality: Norway.

Remarks: The eight worms assigned to this species are 2–187 mm long and some are damaged or partly decayed. The presence of well­developed tentacles and the absence of hooks, distinct papillae, or other external features characterise this species.

Distribution: Widespread in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Antarctic oceans (80° N to 78° S). In the Pacific Ocean from higher latitudes (>30° N and S) and reports from lower latitudes are from depths> 2000 m. Indian Ocean records are limited to subantarctic latitudes. Reported depth ranges are 1–5300 m, but most have been collected from depths less than 400 m.

Thus these new records supplement previous reports from Australian (Edmonds, 1980 as G. m. adelaidensis) and New Zealand waters ( Edmonds, 1960 as G. cantabriensis ), and numerous records from the nearby Antarctic Ocean ( Cutler et al., 2001).