Aricidea (Allia) Strelzov, 1973
Aricidea (Allia) antarctica Hartmann-Schröder & Rosenfeldt, 1988
Voucher specimen. Sea Lion: Station 8MFA, Station 38MFC, Station 40MFC
Diagnosis. Small sized, slender species; voucher specimens incomplete, 2-2.5mm long, 0.2mm wide, incomplete with around 29-40 chaetigers (body is posteriorly strongly coiled, difficult to determine the number of segments); colour in alcohol white.
Prostomium weakly pear-shaped, with prominent oblique nuchal organs on posterior part of prostomium; eyes absent. Prostomial antenna very short (reaching to segment 1), appears bi-articulate with inflated base and distally extending into slender tip.
Branchiae present from chaetiger 4, 7 pairs; broadly oval, distally extending into short acute tip, all pairs similar in length, just about meeting in the middle .
Notopodial postchaetal lobes very small, oval in segment 1 and 2, becoming longer with wider base (flask-shaped) on segment 3, retaining this shape in branchial segments but becoming angular (elbow-shaped), becoming very thin and long (thread-like) in postbranchial region.
Notochaetae always simple capillaries, most dense in anterior part of the body. Modified chaetae of similar thickness to capillary neurochaetae but shorter, some gently, some strongly bent, and tapering to very fine, hair-like tip, beginning past chaetiger 20 (difficult to confirm due to coiling of the specimens), 3 per fascicle appear to be present, accompanied by think capillaries. Pygidium not observed.
Remarks. This species agrees well with Aricidea (Allia) antarctica Hartmann-Schröder & Rosenfeldt, 1988 in shape of prostomium and shape and length of antenna, branchiae and modified neurochaetae.
Distribution: Bransfield Strait (type locality), Elephant Island, Chile (continental slope off Tierra del Fuego) at 1162m, Falkland Islands.
