Berkeleyia Hartman, 1971

Blake, James A., 2020, New species and records of deep-water Orbiniidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Eastern Pacific continental slope, abyssal Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea, Zootaxa 4730 (1), pp. 1-61 : 19

Genus Berkeleyia Hartman, 1971 . Emended Blake 2017

Type-species: Berkeleyia profunda Hartman, 1971 , Mozambique Basin, 4886–5069 m.

Diagnosis. (Emended) Prostomium pointed, conical; peristomium with one or two achaetous rings. Branchiae from posterior thoracic or abdominal segments. Thoracic noto- and neuropodia with one postsetal lobe, sometimes absent or inconspicuous on anteriormost setigers; subpodial lobes absent; abdominal setigers with simple noto- and neuropodia; neuropodia with or without ventral cirrus; interramal cirri absent. Thoracic noto- and neurosetae all capillaries. Abdominal notosetae include capillaries; pointed spines present or absent; furcate setae present or absent; neuropodia with capillaries and protruding acicular spines; or only spines.

Remarks. The genus Berkeleyia is similar to Leitoscoloplos in lacking spines or uncini in thoracic neuropodia. Species of Berkeleyia , however, have elongate neuropodial spines in abdominal setigers and sometimes abdominal notopodial spines.

Until recently, Berkeleyia was known for a single deep-water species, B. profunda Hartman, 1971 , from the Indian Ocean. Blake (2017) described four additional species from off South America and Antarctica, three of which were from deep water, with B. hadala Blake, 2017 from the Peru-Chile trench in 6143 m representing the deepest known occurrence for an orbiniid polychaete. Another deep-water species has been discovered at the Juan de Fuca Ridge associated with hydrothermal vents and is described here.