Species of Litocorsa (Polychaeta: Pilargidae) from the Indian Ocean and South China Sea

Litocorsa seychellensis, new species, is described and L. dentata Imajima, 1987 newly recorded from the Seychelles (western Indian Ocean). The new species is morphologically closest to L. ewingi (Wolf, 1986) from Florida, U.S.A. Following a re-examination of the holotype and two non-type specimens from Japan, the description of L. dentata is emended to include the presence of a median antenna and aristate neuropodial hooks. Eyes may be present or absent. Specimens of Litocorsa from Brunei (South China Sea) are attributed to L. annamita (Gallardo, 1968). The holotype and two paratypes from Viet Nam differ slightly from the new material in having somewhat shorter antennae, but there is some variability in this character and it is therefore not considered significant. The assignment of four species originally placed in Synelmis (the 'Synelmiscomplex B' of previous authors) to Litocorsa is supported in the present study. However, several additional morphological characters are identified and it is recognised that a more thorough cladistic analysis of relationships within the Synelmis-Litocorsa clade requires detailed re-assessments of S. albini (Langerhans, 1881) and other species with furcate neurochaetae. The generic diagnosis of Litocorsa is emended.