Description

“Genus Weddellia, new genus
Type Weddellia pro/unda, new species

The body is long, slender and consists of 18 thoracic and about 23 abdominal segments. Paleae are absent. The oral cavity contains a broad, thick membrane to which long, oral tentacles are dorsally attached. Branchiae number three pairs; each is long, subulate, free to the base; they are inserted on the first three successive setigerous segments. Uncini are present from the fourth setigerous segment. The prostomium is a broad, flat lobe without glandular areas or eyes; its anterior margin is laterally prolonged and its posterior margin is straight. Abdominal para­podia have long, slender dorsal cirri. Thoracic and abdominal uncini occur in single rows; each is thick, avicular, with teeth in several rows along the cutting edge.

Weddellia approaches Paiwa Chamberlin, 1919, which is the only other known ampharetid with 18 thoracic setigerous segments; branchiae number four pairs; paleae are absent; each abdominal parapodium has a long, cirriform dorsal cirrus, and the oral cavity has a conspicuous thick membrane to which the dorsal oral tentacles are attached. Weddel­lia differs from Paiwa in having thoracic uncini with teeth in several rows; branchiae are first present on the first three setigerous segments and number one pair to a segment. Paiwa originates off Peru, in abyssal depths and Weddellia from the Atlantic sector of Antarctica, in abyssal depths.”

(Hartman, 1967)