Lysilla Malmgren, 1866
Lysilla sp. 1
Voucher. HERO: station 1MFA.
Diagnosis: Voucher a single specimen, small, nearly severed into two pieces, with posterior part stretched and damaged; about 7mm long, thorax 0.9mm wide (at widest, “swollen” part). Upper lip projected forward as a large, convoluted lobe. Dorsum and venter anteriorly tessellated to rugose. Nephridial papillae not observed (even upon staining with Shirla stain). Six pairs of very slender, elongated, but distally enlarged notopodia present (presumably on segments 3-8). Notochaetae few, all very short, smooth, thin. The rest of body damaged.
Remarks. The only known species from the region Lysilla macintoshi Gravier, 1907 has been described from shallow depths (25-40m) holotype was 14mm long, 3mm wide, brown-yellow with 6 segments with notochaetae, large genital papillae on segments 6-8 and very long, subdistally spatulate notochaetae (see image below). Of the 14 described species of Lysilla, only two other species have notopodia terminating on segment 10 or before. Lysilla loveni Malmgren, 1866, originally described from Sweden with 6-8 pairs of notopodia extending until segments 8–10, with winged notochaetae in both rows. Lysilla longilinea Nogueira, Hutchings and Carrerette, 2015 from Lizard Island, Australia has only five pairs of notopodia (on segments 3–7) and its thorax is not swollen. Although Falkland Island specimen is not in the best condition, the comparison here suggests it represents a new species. However a well preserved specimen is needed to provide a formal description and to corroborate the preliminary conclusion reached here.
Spatulate notochaeta of Lysilla macintoshi (after Garview, 1907)
