A new species of Paranerilla (Polychaeta: Nerillidae) from Northeast Greenland waters, Arctic Ocean

Paranerilla cilioscutata sp. nov. is described from high arctic waters, off Northeast Greenland. It was found in muddy sediments at depths of 32 to 590 m between 77degrees09'N and 82degrees11'N and between 8degrees40.42'W and 30degrees24'W in Independence Fjord and the Greenland Sea. The new species expands the distribution of Nerillidae into the Arctic. It is compared with Paranerilla limicola which is the only other species of the genus. New material of P. limicola was collected at the type locality in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden (58degrees16'N, 11degrees28'E). Both species were studied with light microscopy (alive and preserved) and scanning electron microscopy. Both have seven segments with compound chaetae and the characteristic prostomium of Paranerilla, with two lateral horns and a dense covering of cilia. The new species differs from R limicola by a much denser dorsal ciliation and lack of prostomial ciliated sensory fields. The dorsal ciliation of P. cilioscutata sp. nov., totally covers the prostomium and segment 1, and is seen as ciliary plates on segments 2-6 (versus partly ciliated prostomium and segment 1, and narrow double or single ciliary bands on segments 2-6 in P. limicola). The present studies of P. limicola revealed two new groups of sensory cilia (absent in P. cilioscutata sp. nov.) located on the anterior and posterior part of the prostomium, respectively.