Amazing Diversity of Nothria (Annelida, Onuphidae) in the Australian Deep Sea Author Paxton, Hannelore School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia & Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia Author Budaeva, Nataliya Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41 5007, Bergen, Norway Author Gunton, Laetitia M. Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia text Records of the Australian Museum 2023 Rec. Aust. Mus. 2023-05-17 75 3 215 247 http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.2201-4349.75.2023.1802 journal article 10.3853/j.2201-4349.75.2023.1802 2201-4349 10414092 547C922B-640C-4C2A-AE42-9C464AE54BF9 Nothria cf. paxtonae Imajima, 1999 Fig. 25 , Tables 2 , S 1 ? Nothria paxtonae Imajima, 1999: 51 , figs 27–29. Nothria cf. paxtonae .— Gunton et al., 2021:75, fig 16B. Material examined (4). AM W.53844, IN 2017_ V 03_56 (3). AM W.53843, IN 2017_C01_207 (1). Diagnosis . No eyes visible. Palpo- and antennophores with 2–3 rings, lateral antennae extending to chaetiger 5, median antenna to 6. Branchiae absent. First chaetiger and parapodia greatly enlarged, parapodia directed anteriorly, surpassing prostomium. Bidentate pseudocompound hooks only present on chaetigers 1 and 2; limbate chaetae from chaetiger 2; flat pectinate chaetae with about 12 teeth present on chaetiger 8; subacicular hooks from chaetiger 8–9. Tube with thin transparent lining, covered closely with foraminiferans. Remarks . All of our specimens are anterior fragments, measuring 4–5 mm in length for 8–11 chaetigers, 1.0– 1.3 mm in width. The specimens were fixed in formalin, hence could not be sequenced. The alcohol-stored specimens are overall whitish without any pigmentation. The delicate jaws were not examined. Nothria paxtonae was described from off Boso Peninsula to Suruga Bay , Japan , in 90–175 m depth , having small anterior eyespots and larger posterior eyes, pectinate chaetae from chaetiger 9, and uniquely for the genus, eight foliaceous papillae surrounding the anus . Since our specimens are all incomplete, we were unable to confirm this identifying characteristic. Furthermore, none of our specimens appeared to have eyes and only one specimen has one pectinate chaeta on chaetiger 8. In view of these uncertainties, we are reporting the specimens as N. cf. paxtonae for the present time. Budaeva & Paxton (2013) reported N. abyssia from off south-eastern Australia ; it is very similar to N. paxtonae ; both species lack branchiae, have hooks present on the first two pairs of parapodia only, limbate chaetae starting from chaetiger 2 and have flat pectinate chaetae. They differ in that anal papillae are absent and pectinate chaetae have 17–20 teeth, starting on chaetiger 2–3 in N. abyssia whilst they have only 12 teeth and start on chaetiger 9 in N. paxtonae . However, they were not collected in the material of the present study. Distribution . Off Jervis Marine Park, New South Wales , and Great Australian Bight, in 1772–2650 m depth ( Fig. 25 ).