Seepicola Rice, Tovar-Hernández, Ellison & Young, 2025

Seepicola Rice, Tovar-Hernández, Ellison & Young gen. nov.

Seepicola viridiplumi Rice, Tovar-Hernández, Ellison & Young, 2025 , gen. nov. designated by monotypy .. Type species.

Description

Medium size species in the subfamily Myxicolinae with a moderate number of radioles arranged in semi-circular radiolar lobes. Brachial crown symmetrical, with all radioles nearly the same length. Brachial crown with basal, dorsal, and ventral flanges. Palmate membrane, radiolar flanges and radiolar eyes absent. Pinnules paired. Radiolar tips entire (unbranched). Dorsal lips with mid rib (radiolar appendages) and dorsal pinnular appendages. Ventral lips and parallel lamellae present. Ventral sacs absent. Ventral peristomial chambers present, located between the ventral lappets and parallel lamellae. Peristomial loops absent. Peristomial eyes present. Collar chaete narrowly hooded. Glandular ridge on chaetiger 2 absent. Ventral shields are well differentiated. Thoracic chaetae with a superior group of narrowly hooded chaete, inferior group with paleate chaetae. Neurochaetae with tear-drop shaped companion chaetae and avicular uncini. Teeth above the main fan of equal size, hood absent, breast well-developed, expanded, handles of medium length. Interamal eyespots absent. Abdominal chaetae elongate, broadly hooded. Abdominal avicular uncini with teeth above the main fang of equal size, breast well developed, short handled. Pygidium without anal cirrus. Pygidial eyes absent.

Etymology

The genus name refers to the fact that the type species was found in hydrocarbon seep habitats (Seeps, combined with the latin - cola = ' dweller'). It should be regarded as an invariant compound noun in apposition ( Read et al. 2017; pg. 19).