Abstract
Using molecular markers and species delimitation analyses, a high diversity of bi-tentaculate Cirratulidae was discovered from the North-East Atlantic. Five new species are described: Chaetozone pseudosetosasp. nov., Chaetozone quintasp. nov., Chaetozone barentsensissp. nov., Chaetozone monteverdiisp. nov., and Chaetozone chambersaesp. nov. Several morphogroups are also described, even though the presence of cryptic diversity prevented naming of individual species. For each species presented, a molecular diagnostic is given from the universal barcode COI and, when available, the D1–D2 domains of the 28S rRNA. This increases the number of species in Chaetozone in northern European waters from ten to at least 17 species, the exact number of species remaining uncertain as taxonomic issues with older names remain unresolved.
Highlights
Marine benthic environments in the North Sea and shelf areas in the Norwegian Sea are said to be among the best-studied areas in the world (Nygren et al 2018)
Molecular diagnostic characters allow the description of cryptic species in the absence of observable morphological diagnostic characters (Churchill et al 2014; Delić et al 2017; Teixeira et al 2020)
We describe five new species: Chaetozone pseudosetosa sp. nov., Chaetozone quinta sp. nov., Chaetozone barentsensis sp. nov., Chaetozone monteverdii sp. nov. and Chaetozone chambersae sp. nov
Summary
Marine benthic environments in the North Sea and shelf areas in the Norwegian Sea are said to be among the best-studied areas in the world (Nygren et al 2018). Polychaete worms belonging to Cirratulidae Ryckholt, 1851 are common in a diversity of marine substrates and can reach high densities, as high as up to 10.000 specimens per m2 in quantitative samples (Hily 1987) They are of ecological importance and among the frequently encountered organisms in environmental monitoring. Molecular diagnostic characters allow the description of cryptic species in the absence of observable morphological diagnostic characters (Churchill et al 2014; Delić et al 2017; Teixeira et al 2020) This is important when we know that many species discovered through molecular species delimitation analyses remain undescribed and unavailable for further studies (Pante et al 2015). We describe three morphogroups, containing cryptic species and/or that cannot be linked to an existing name or described as new species as yet
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