Study On The Taxonomy Of Families Ampharetidae And Terebellidae (Annelida:Polychaeta) From China Seas

The Families Ampharetidae and Terebellidae belong to the order Terebellida, Class Polychaeta, Phylum Annelida. The body of terebellids is large, the species of this family are typical shallow-water polychaetes and are known from coastal and shelf environments worldwide. The body of ampharetids is small, many species of the family have a very wide distribution geographically as well as bathymetrically. In the deep sea, ampharetids are sometimes among the numerically dominant species. Both families are common groups in China seas. However, the knowledge of these two families from China seas is poor, there have not been systematical studies.As the importance of ampharetids and terebellids in marine ecosystem of China seas, it is necessary to develop the taxonomic and fauna studies on these two families from Chinese waters. After carefully checking the specimens deposited in the Marine Biological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Qingdao, China), we get the following results:1. Fourty-three species belonging to25genera are recorded in the present paper, including5new species and12new record species from China seas, in which,23species of13genera belong to Ampharetidae,20species of12genera belong to Terebellidae. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and distributions of all the identified species are provided in the present paper, small specimens used for examination with Scanning Electron Microscope were prepared by critical point dring, covered with gold in a evaporator, and then the samples were examined and photographed.2. Systematical studies are apply to the Ampharetidae and Terebellidae and some confusion are amended.(1) Three subfamilies are uesd in this paper rather than previously four, we combined Artacaminae and Amphitritinae to form the subfamily Terebellinae.(2) Moved the genus Isolda from Ampharetinae into Melinninae; also, moved Streblosoma from Amphitritinae into Thelepodinae.(3) Consider Pista robustisetaCaullery,1915, Pisia zachsi Anninkova,1937and Pista fasciata(Grube,1869), which were identified before from Chinese waters should be same species, the species name should be Pistafasciata (Grube,1869).(4) Emended some Chinese species, such as Ampharete finmarchica(Sars,1864)is mistakenly identified as Ampharete arctica (Malmgren,1866). The latter has a big gap between the two group gills,30paleae and12abdominal uncinigers.