A record of the genus Trochochaeta (Polychaeta) in the southern hemisphere with description of a new species

The small polychaete family Trochochaetidae is monogeneric and had been recorded almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere before this study. During a benthic investigation in the coastal shelf zone off Angola at 15 degrees S several specimens were collected from 84 m depth differing from other members of the family and we described it as a new species herein. The only known African species so far was Trochochaeta kirkegaardi from the eastern Atlantic. Trochochaeta ankeae sp. nov. is characterized by having four minute eyes, a small conical antenna, a nuchal crest projecting through chaetiger 2, by lacking notochaetae on chaetiger 2, by having acicular spines on neuropodia 2 and 3 and a pair of conical papillae ventral on abdomen. A key to all 11 known species (including an unnamed one) is given.