Cienc. Tecnol. Mar, 29 (1): 71-90, 2006
BENTHIC SUBTIDAL POLYCHAETES ON SOFT BOTTOMS OF THE AYSÉN REGION OF CHILE: CLADE TEREBELLIDA (ANNELIDA, POLYCHAETA)*
NICOLÁS ROZBACZYLO 1, RODRIGO MORENO 1, ÓSCAR DÍAZ-DÍAZ 2, SOFÍA MARTÍNEZ 1
1 Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago. E-mail: nrozbac@bio.puc.cl 2 Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Venezuela.
Recepción: 17 de junio de 2004 - Versión corregida aceptada: 3 de febrero de 2006.
ABSTRACT
Results from a taxonomic analysis of benthic polychaetes of the clade Terebellida, obtained during the CIMAR 7 and CIMAR 8 Fjords research cruises are presented. Synonymy, geographical distribution, morphological remarks, and illustrations for each species are included. The samples were obtained in the region of Aysén (43o 45’ S-46o 28’ S), on the southeastern Pacific coast off Chile, from silt-clay bottoms using an Agassiz trawl, between 20 and 444 m depth. A total of 133 specimens of polychaetes from the clade Terebellida were collected. These specimens consisted of 14 species, grouped into 13 genera and seven families. Tubes of Lanice sp. recovered were included only for the taxonomic record. The samples analyzed included a total of seven species of Terebellidae (50% of total abundance of all samples), two species of Ampharetidae (14.3% abundance) and one of Flabelligeridae, Cirratulidae, Pectinariidae, Trichobranchidae and Sternaspidae (7.1% abundance), respectively. During the CIMAR 7 cruise a total of 117 specimens of polychaetes were collected, striking the Sternaspidae Sternaspis scutata (Renier), which accounted for 51.3% of the total abundance. During the CIMAR 8 cruise, 16 specimens of polychaetes were collected, in particular S. scutata accounting for 43.8% of total abundance, followed by the Pectinariidae Cistenides ehlersi Hessle, with 18.8% abundance. Our findings increased the number of benthic polychaetes currently recorded for the region of Aysén to 77 species.
Key words: Polychaeta, cold temperate waters, Magellanic Province, biodiversity, Southeastern Pacific, CIMAR 7 and 8 Fjords.