Melinninae Chamberlin, 1919
Melinna Malmgren, 1866
Melinna sp. 1
Voucher. VINSTON WEST: station 2MFA.
Diagnosis. Voucher is the only example of this species collected in this study; specimen incomplete, damaged; anterior fragment 9mm long and 0.8mm wide (at the widest part of thorax). Single pair of emergent postbranchial hooks present, but tips broken off. Eighteen thoracic chaetigers, 14 of these uncinigers. Pygidium unknown.
Prostomium is a large square shaped lobe, anteriorly with side shallow depression; with two prominent patches of many golden brown eyespots. Dorsum of chaetiger 4 with a narrow membranous fold with serrated free margin, with 10 blunt, sub-triangular serrations of similar size.
Two groups of branchiae, basally fused; each group with four distally tapering cylindrical branchiae.
Thoracic uncini in frontal view with 3 teeth in a single row plus 2 smaller teeth distally (formula: 1-1-1-2); abdominal uncini in lateral view with 4 teeth, uncinus quadreate with a small constriction above prow.
Tube: small fragment of tube present, thin layer of mud, heavily encrusted with small particles.
Remarks. Falkland Island specimens from shallower depth agreed well with Melinna arnaudi Parapar and San Martín (1997), however this specimen clearly represent a different species. It differs from M. arnaudi by presence of eyes, shape of prostomium, form of tube and form of thoracic uncini (these are arranged in a single row, without any teeth which are doubled in M. arnaudi). Given the rather poor condition of the specimen and the fact that Melinna species from the area were often lumped under the northern European M. cristata, it would be desirable to collect a larger number of well-preserved specimens and carry out a revision of this genus in the region.
