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The family Pilargidae consists of the following seven genera :
Ancistrosyllis McIntosh,
Cabira Webster,
Loandalia Monro,
Otopsis Ditlevsen,
Pilargis St. Joseph,
Talehsapia Fauvel and
Ancistargis Jones. However, Hartman (1947) has suggested that the genus
Cabira, which is represented by only one species, might best be dropped from literature. Kitamori (I960) has described
Pilargis matsunagaensis (=
Ancistargis matsunagaensis), a new species from Matsunaga Bay, Hiroshima Prefecture, which combines the characters of both the genera
Ancistrosyllis and
Pilargis. It has a pair of antennae in the prostomium and the epithelial papillae are scattered over most of the body. In addition, it has an acicular hook in notopodia, a character typical of the genus
Ancistrosyllis. As pointed out by Jones (1961)
P. matsunagaensis should belong to the genus
Ancistargis. At present this genus is represented by two species,
papillosus and
matsunagaensis.
During the study of the bottom fauna of Palk Bay, South India, two incomplete specimens of
Ancistargis were collected from a depth of 10 meters on July 12, 1961. Subsequently another incomplete specimen was taken on August 22, 1962 from the same locality at a depth of 7 meters. The three specimens which form the basis of the present account, differ markedly from
Ancistargis papillosus and
Ancistargis matsunagaensis and are designated here as
Ancistargis brevicirris sp. nov.