114 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL.22 



panied by one or 2 very long, curved, inferiormost genital spines which 

 are finely puntate along their free length. Hooded hooks are distally bifid 

 and have a rounded hood. 



Laonice sacculata differs from L. foliata (Moore, 1923, pp. 182-183), 

 first described from the shallow benthos of California, chiefly by lacking, 

 instead of having, prostomial eyes. It may best be considered a variety 

 of L. foliata. Its known geographic range is limited to California. 



Genus PRIONOSPIO Malmgren, 1867 



Prionospio pinnata Ehlers, 1901 

 (Plate 9, figs. 1-5) 



Ehlers, 1901, pp. 163-164. 



Prionospio alata Moore, 1923, pp. 185-186. 



Berkeley and Berkeley, 1952, p. 30. 



This species was taken in Santa Catalina and Velero Basins ; another 

 questionable record from Tanner Basin is more completely discussed 

 below (under Prionospio spp.). Many more collections of much larger 

 individuals come from shallower shelf and slope depths of southern 

 California, and in spite of superficial differences, they are believed to 

 represent a single, widely distributed, eurybathic species. 



The original account by Ehlers (1901, p. 163) was based on a small 

 individual from Chile, in 10 meters, in which 25 anterior segments 

 measured 10.5 mm long and 1-1.5 mm wide. It was described as follows: 

 Prostomium a triangular lobe, without antenna or eyes, laterally enclosed 

 by the upturned membranous wings of the peristomium. Palpi are long 

 and each base has a broad foliaceous membrane. The first 5 segments 

 have dorsal and ventral postsetal lobes in which the dorsal one is oval, 

 distally pointed, and larger than the corresponding ventral one. On seg- 

 ments 6 and 7 these lobes are smaller, and farther back they are increas- 

 ingly reduced in size. Branchiae number 3 pairs, are very large (when 

 not regenerated) and all are bipinnately divided. Neuropodial hooks are 

 first present from the ninth segment. Tubes are thick and mud-walled. 



These characteristics agree with those of Prionospio alata Moore 

 (1923, p. 185) first described from off Point Pinos lighthouse in 56-57 

 fms, in sediments of coarse sand, shale and rock. Its type specimen meas- 

 ured 29 mm long by 1.6 mm wide and consisted of 52 segments. The 

 prostomium is about five times as long as wide, has blunt anterior end 

 and lacks eyes and antenna. The peristomium is prolonged forward and 



