Aurospio dibranchiata Maciolek 1981

Aurospio dibranchiata Maciolek, 1981

Aurospio dibranchiata Maciolek, 1981: 230 –239, figs 1–4.

Type locality. Argentine Basin (36°49.0’S, 53°15.4’W), 1661–1679 m, epibenthic sled; (36º12.7´S, 52º42.7´W), 2041–2048 m.

Type material. Holotype (USNM 60326), paratypes (USNM 60327, USNM 60328), (LACM-AHF-POLY- 1289), (CASIZ 1122), (MACN 29.610), (BMNH ZB1980: 82–91), (ZMH P–16407).

Records. Widespread areas in North and South Atlantic Ocean: Surinam; Bermuda; Bay of Biscay; off Ireland to as far South as the Argentine Basin (Maciolek 1981).

Remarks. Maciolek (1981) reported Aurospio dibranchiata as an extremely widespread species, occurring over most of the Atlantic Ocean, from slope depths of 300 m to abyssal depths of 3600 m. However, the wide variation in taxonomic characters and geographic range create the suspicion that more than one species may be confused under the name Aurospio dibranchiata due to shapes of the prostomium, length of chaetae on chaetiger 2, shape of parapodial lamellae and presence or absence of dorsal crests. Maciolek (1981) mentions that these characteristics vary little amongst samples, but these have been used to separate species in other genera.