Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 September 2014
A new species, Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov., isdescribed from the east and south shores of Oahu, Hawaii. Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov. is unique in thegenus by the presence of noto- and neuropodial spines from chaetiger 11 toposterior segments. Neuropodial spines on anterior chaetigers are absent inall other Poecilochaetus species while notopodial spinesare limited to segments preceding the pygidium. Poecilochaetus cf. koshikiensis,originally described from Japan, is newly recorded from Hawaii andapparently widely distributed in the western Pacific and South-east AsianSeas. Poecilochaetus sp. is distinguished from the othertwo species by the distribution of the ampullaceous cirri (7–12) and itschaetal characters.