Califia chilensis Hartman, 1967

Blake, James A., 2017, Polychaeta Orbiniidae from Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, the Abyssal Pacific Ocean, and off South America, Zootaxa 4218 (1), pp. 1-145 : 82

Califia chilensis Hartman, 1967

Califia chilensis Hartman, 1967: 102 –103, pl. 32; Rozbaczylo 1985: 128.

Material examined. Western Chile, off Chiloe Island, Eltanin Sta. 6-333, 27 Nov 1962, 42.93°S, 75.58°W, 3655– 3651 m, holotype ( USNM 55530 ) .

Remarks. The holotype is the only known specimen of C. chilensis and is incomplete. The thorax consists of 13 setigers with branchiae from setiger 9. The species was originally differentiated from related species by the presence of three types of setae in the first three thoracic setigers: (1) crenulated capillaries, (2) short thin uncini sometimes with tips appearing bristled, and (3) larger, thicker uncini, also sometimes appearing bristled. The bristled appearance of these uncini is due to fraying of a sheath that encompasses part of the shafts best seen in SEMs of the new species, C. bilamellata described below. While the details of bristling and ribbing of these setae may be specifically unique to C. chilensis , the presence of three types of setae in setigers 1–3 has also been reported for C. calida Hartman, 1957 and C. schmitti ( Pettibone, 1957) . Capillaries are lacking in C. mexicana Fauchald, 1972 . One feature overlooked by Hartman (1967), which may make C. chilensis specifically unique in the genus, is the presence of a row of shorter and thinner uncini among the numerous capillaries of setigers 4–5. Pettibone (1957) reported the presence of some uncini on setiger 4 in C. schmitti , but there have been no reports of such setae beyond setigers 1–3 in C. calida and C. mexicana . The posterior end of the holotype of C. chilensis is not well preserved and it is not clear if several fragments in the same vial belong to the holotype specimen. Nevertheless, abdominal setae may prove to be diagnostic for Califia species. Posterior notopodia of C. chilensis have a type of flail seta with a thickened shaft and finely tapered, ribbed capillary tip. Flail setae were not observed in specimens of C. schmitti collected by the author from the continental slope off the North Carolina. It would be useful to study the abdominal setae in the other species in order to determine specific differences.

Distribution. Off western Chile, 3651–3655 m.