World Polychaeta Database (WPolyDb) Table 6 relating species occurrence to sea temperature is erroneous, and should not be used as the plotted data was transposed vertically and horizontally when printed [pers comm Peter Vine, Dec 2020]
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Twenty-four species in eight genera are described from the New Zealand region. Nine species are new; Metalaeospira armiger, M. clansmani, Paralaeospira parallela, Protolaeospira augeneri, P. gracei, Romanchella solea, Pileoaria (Pileolaria) tegwyni, Pileolaria (Simplicaria) ovata, and Pileolaria (Duplicaria) pocillator. A single specimen, not assignable to genus, is described as Sp. A. Of the recorded species, Pileolaria (Duplicaria) koehleri, P. (Simplicaria) pseudomilitaris, Janua (Dexiospira) steueri, J. (D.) pseudocorrugata, and J. (Janua) pagenstecheri are also known from tropical and warm temperate seas, whereas Romanchella perrieri, Paralaeospira levinseni, P. monocanthus, Protolaeospira capensis, and P. lebruni are previously recorded from antarctic and cold southern ocean waters. Protolaeospira ambilateralis, P. translucens, and Spirorbis bidentatus have previously been found in more northerly regions of the Pacific. Amplaria spiculosa is an aberrant species with parapodial rudiments equivalent to four and a half thoracic segments. Before collection of two specimens at the Poor Knights Islands it was known only from the holotype collected in South Australia. Ecology and distribution of the species are discussed and the importance of sea surface temperatures is emphasised. New Zealand straddles the critical temperature range where a. transition occurs between mainly opercular-brooding species (abundant in warm seas) and mainly tube-incubating species (favoured in colder seas).
