Sphaerosyllis levantina sp. n. (Annelida) from the eastern Mediterranean, with notes on character variation in Sphaerosyllis hystrix Claparède, 1863

Collection: Pensoft Publishers

Keywords: Polychaetes · Topics: Marine Biology and Ecology Research, Marine Ecology and Invasive Species, Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

Examination of polychaete specimens from Haifa Bay (Israel, eastern Mediterranean Sea) revealed several individuals exhibiting morphological characteristics similar to Sphaerosyllis hystrix Claparède, 1863. A detailed morphometrical analysis of the Israeli specimens in comparison to specimens of S. hystrix and S. boeroi Musco, Çinar & Giangrande, 2005 supported the description of the former as a new species, S. levantina sp. n. Individuals of S. hystrix formed a very heterogeneous group with strong character variations in the analysis and the presumed cosmopolitan distribution of the species is discussed based on literature records.

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