300 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 27 



pair of nuchal slits (fig. 79a). Achaetous buccal segment more or 

 less fused with prostomium. Parapodia with notopodial postsetal 

 lobes small, inconspicuous or short, digitiform on anterior segments 

 (fig. 79,c,e), becoming slender, filiform in postbranchial segments 

 (fig. 79,d,f); without neuropodial postsetal lobes. 



Key to the New England Subgenera and Species of Paraonis 



1. With modified setae in notopodia in addition to capillary setae . . (subgenus 



Paraonides) . . With few short lyrate setae in addition to capillary 

 setae in notopodia, beginning in branchial region (fig. 79^). Without 

 modified setae in posterior neuropodia. Branchiae begin on setigers 4—5, 

 7-17 pairs, straplike. Prostomium without eyes. . . P. (Paraonides) lyra 

 With only capillary setae in notopodia, without modified setae. With 

 modified setae in addition to capillary setae in posterior neuropodia . . 

 (subgenus Paraonis, sensu stricto) 2 



2. Branchiae begin on setigers 6-7, 9-14 pairs, straplike, pointed (fig. 79, a,c). 



Prostomium without eyes. Posterior neuropodia with up to 5-6 curved, 

 slightly hooked acicular setae (begin on about setiger 20, fig. 79d). 



P. (Paraonis) gracilis 



Branchiae begin on setiger 4, 16-25 pairs, wide, foliaceous, terminating in 



narrow tips (fig. 79e). Prostomium with pair of small lateral deep-set 



eyes. Posterior neuropodia with 1-2 hooked acicular setae (begin on 



about setiger 50; fig. 79/) P. (Paraonis) fulgens 



Paraonis (Paraonides) lyra Southern, 1914 



Figure 79g 



Paraonis (Paraonides) lyra Fauvel, 1927, p. 72, fig. 24, a-/. — Southward, 1956, 

 p. 269.— Hartman, 1957, p. 334.— Marinov, 1959, p. 96, fig. 12.— EUason, 

 1962, p. 262. 



Paraonis lyra var. capensis Day, 1955, p. 417. 



Description. — Length up to 20 mm., width up to 0.3 mm., seg- 

 ments up to 105, Notosetae and neurosetae slender capillaries; in 

 addition beginning in branchial region, with 1-3 shorter lyrate setae 

 in lower part of notopodial bundle (fig. 79g). Anal end with 3 short 

 subequal filiform anal cirri, 2 dorsolateral and 1 mid ventral. Bran- 

 chiae begin on setigers 4-5, about 7 pairs (7-17). Colorless. 



Biology. — Dredged on bottoms of sand, muddy-sand with fine 

 gravel, grey ooze. Mature males found at surface in June in Ireland 

 (Southern, 1914); females with 4 large red eggs per segment. 



Material examined. — Gulf of St. Lawrence (Gaspe Bay, 8 

 fathoms), off Massachusetts (Albatross Station 2192, 39°46' N., 

 70°14' W., 1,060 fathoms, 1884), off Nova Scotia (JDelaware Station, 

 42°43' N., 66°02' W., 43 fathoms, 1959, R. Wigley). 



Distribution. — Denmark, British Isles, Black Sea, Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence to Massachusetts, South Africa, off southern California. 

 In 1 to 1,060 fathoms. 



