Parapar, Julio; Kongsrud, Jon A; Kongshavn, Katrine; Alvestad, Tom; Aneiros, Fernando; Moreira, Juan. (2017 (2018 in print issue)). A new species of Ampharete (Annelida: Ampharetidae) from the NW Iberian Peninsula, with a synoptic table comparing NE Atlantic species of the genus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 183(3): 526-555.
A new species of the genus Ampharete Malmgren, 1866 (Annelida; Ampharetidae) is described based on the specimens collected during several sampling campaigns in shallow coastal waters off Galicia, NW Iberian Peninsula. Ampharete santillani sp. nov. is morphologically similar to Ampharete lindstroemi Malmgren in Hessle, 1917 but differs by larger body size, the absence of eyes on the pygidium and the presence of short dorsal neuropodial cirri in posterior abdominal segments rather than minute rounded lobes. The external micro-morphology of the new species was studied using a scanning electron microscopy, and the gross internal anatomy was examined by means of microcomputed tomography. This new ampharetid is at least distributed from NW Spain to the Moroccan southern coast. A study of temporal variation in abundance showed that it may reach densities of up to 500-1000 ind./m(2). Molecular characterization is based on partial sequences of mitochondrial marker cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, COI (DNA barcodes). Additional DNA barcodes were produced for five other species occurring in NE Atlantic waters. A molecular phylogenetic analysis, also including available COI sequences of Ampharete spp. from the BOLD database, is presented. A synoptic table summarizing diagnostic characters for NE Atlantic species of Ampharete is provided. The presence of peritrich ciliate epibionts is also reported.