Sampling in circalittoral and bathyal zones of the North Aegean Sea, yielded a considerable number of specimens belonging to two species of the genus
Paradiopatra Ehlers, 1887:
P. quadricuspis (M. Sars, 1872) and
P. calliopae sp. nov.
P. quadricuspis from the North Aegean show slight differences from the type material. In addition, some features of the species, not reported by previous authors, are given. Also, the holotype of the Atlantic species
P. bihanica (Intes & Le Loeuff, 1975) was re-examined and useful conclusions about the status of this species and its distinction from the new species are drawn. Re-examination of a specimen from the Ionian Sea, reported as
Onuphis lepta, shows that it possibly belongs to the new species. The new species is compared with its closest congeners (
P. quadricuspis,
P. bihanica, and
P. fauchaldi (Kirkegaard, 1988)) and the characters distinguishing them are given. The status of the genus in the Mediterranean is discussed.
