Cirratulid polychaetes are abundant, ecologically relevant, and widely used as bioindicators, but systematic studies worldwide remain scarce due to systematic challenges. Chaetozone Malmgren, 1867, is the most diverse genus of… Click to show full abstract
Cirratulid polychaetes are abundant, ecologically relevant, and widely used as bioindicators, but systematic studies worldwide remain scarce due to systematic challenges. Chaetozone Malmgren, 1867, is the most diverse genus of Cirratulidae. The first taxonomic study of Chaetozone in Brazil was carried out on the southeastern and southern coast in a region of sedimentary basins under oil exploration. Four new species are described: C. beneditae sp. nov., C. bidentata sp. nov., C. lesliae sp. nov., and C. lutzae sp. nov. We also provide the first Brazilian record of C. larae (Elias, Rivero & Orensanz, 2017), expanding the distribution from Argentina to Brazil. A taxonomic key to Brazilian Chaetozone species is presented, contributing to cirratulid systematics and South Atlantic polychaete diversity.
               
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