Abstract
AbstractA phylogenetic analysis of the polychaete family Poecilochaetidae is presented. The ingroup consisted of 24 of the 27 species presently regarded as valid, as well as two forms previously reported but not formally described. The outgroup consisted of the type species of the genera Apistobranchus and Trochochaeta. The analysis provides strong evidence that Trochochaetidae is the sister group of Poecilochaetidae and that the latter is a well defined monophyletic group. Poecilochaetidae is composed of two major subgroups, one consisting of forms with a papillate body surface and lacking a dorsal postchaetal lobe on chaetiger 1, the other containing forms with an elongate nuchal organ and a dorsal chitinous tooth on chaetiger 9. The hypothesized evolution of a number of characters within the family is discussed, most importantly the distribution of ampullaceous postchaetal lobes, the occurrence of various forms of nuchal organs, and the occurrence of different kinds of chaetae in the posterior notopodia.
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