Spionidae (Annelida:Polychaeta) from the Capbreton Canyon (Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic) with descriptions of a new genus and three new species

Eleven species of spionid polychaetes were collected from bathyal depths (492-1113 m) of the Capbreton Canyon, Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic: Aurospio dibranchiata Maciolek, Prionospio cirrifera Wiren, P. dubia Day, P. ehlersi Fauvel, P. fauchaldi Maciolek, Scolelepis sp. A, Spiophanes kroeyeri Grube, S. wigleyi Pettibone, Laonice junoyi, new species, L. maciolekae, new species, and Spiogalea vieitezi new genus and species, described herein. L. junoyi, collected at one station at a depth of 984-1029 m, is characterized by the unusual structure formed by the caruncle and the nuchal organs. L. maciolekae, collected at depths between 492 and 1040 m, is related to Laonice species with multiple rows of capillaries on the parapodia of anterior chaetigers ( L. appelloefi Soderstrom, L. blakei Sikorski and Jirkov, L. weddellia Hartman, L. nuchala Blake and L. norgensis Sikorski). The main characters of Spiogalea vieitezi are the presence of two chitinous plates surrounding the anterior part of the prostomium ( this character separates the new genus from all known genera and species of the family Spionidae) and, as in the genera Spiophanella and Spiophanes, the absence of branchiae. The two specimens of Spiogalea were collected at a depth of 1000 m.