A new species of Orbiniella (Polycahaeta: Orbiniidae) from deep basins of Antarctica

During the 2002 Antarctic Deep-sea Biodiversity (ANDEEP) programme to the Drake Passage, Weddell Sea Basin and South Sandwich Slope and trench, a new deep-water species of orbiniid polychaete was collected: Orbiniella andeepia sp. nov. Orbiniella andeePia appears to be most closely related to O. marzonensis but differs in capillary setal structure, the type and number of acicular spines found in each podial lobe. Orbiniella andeepia is only the third deep-water species of Orbiniella to be discovered. It exhibits both a wide depth- and geographic-range within the Antarctic slope and abyssal sediments.