Kirkegaardia Blake, 2016

Blake, James A., 2023, New Species of Cirratulidae (Annelida) from Continental Slope and Abyssal Depths off Eastern Australia, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 75 (3), pp. 249-270 : 265

Genus Kirkegaardia Blake, 2016

Type species: Monticellina heterochaeta Laubier, 1961 . Designated by Blake (2016). Homonym: Monticellina Laubier, 1961 . Preoccupied by Monticellina Westblad, 1953

Diagnosis (after Blake, 2016): Bitentaculate cirratulids with distinct body regions and all setae distally pointed. Pre-setigerous region typically elongate, cylindrical, with short, blunt prostomium and long peristomium with none to many weakly developed annulations or peristomium short and thick; dorsal tentacles arising on posterior margin of peristomium, anterior to setiger 1. Thoracic notopodia often shifted dorsally, elevated, producing distinct dorsal groove along thoracic region; other species with thoracic parapodia more lateral, leaving broad elevated dorsum; parapodia of middle and posterior region lateral. Middle body segments longer than wide, frequently beadlike; posterior segments wider than long, somewhat crowded, with posterior most segments usually expanded or enlarged. Setae including simple capillaries with fibrils observed under SEM and denticulated capillaries with distinct denticles present along one edge of setae; denticles visible at 400–1,000×; blades usually basally expanded. Pygidium with simple ventral lobe.

Remarks. Species of Kirkegaardia are characterized by having capillary setae that have denticulated or serrated edges. Although the denticles are often difficult to see in light microscopy, they are highly diagnostic. In the present study, a single species, Kirkegaardia glabra sp. nov. has close relatives, also from deep water.