Based on material collected during the BIOICE project off Iceland, the taxonomy and distribution of eight species of polychaetous annelids belonging to the genus
Ampharete (Polychaeta: Ampharetidae) are reviewed. Five of these species were previously reported in the area:
Ampharete acutifrons,
Ampharete borealis,
Ampharete finmarchica,
Ampharete octocirrata and
Ampharete petersenae; two are new to Icelandic waters:
Ampharete baltica and
Ampharete lindstroemi; and one is new to science:
Ampharete villenai sp. nov.
A. petersenae was found for the first time after the original description and is redescribed.
A. villenai sp. nov. is primarily characterized by the size, shape and disposition of the paleae, a special kind of chaetae located on the first body chaetiger. Several body characters of high taxonomic relevance in Ampharetidae are reviewed under the SEM. The distribution of each species off the coast of Iceland and a key to all species recorded in European Boreo-Arctic waters is provided.
