A NEW SPECIES OF GRANIA (ENCHYTRAEIDAE, CLITELLATA, ANNELIDA) AND REDESCRIPTION OF GRANIA-PUSILLA FROM A ROCKY SHORE IN SE IRELAND

Two species of marine Enchytraeidae belonging to the genus Grania Sout hern, 1913, Grania mira sp.nov and Grania pusilla Erseus, 1974, are de scribed from the rocky shores of southeast Ireland. Grania mira has di stinctive muscular modifications of the male ducts. Grania pusilla whi ch was previously reported only from the coasts of Norway and Sweden b y Erseus (1974), is completely redescribed, including information on m any additional morphological characters noted from recent taxonomic li terature on Grania. It is reinstated to the level of species. The spec ies has a penial stylet and a large glandular penial bulb. Differences in setal distribution between specimens of G. pusilla from Ireland an d those from Norwegian and Swedish populations are attributed to geogr aphical separation limiting genetic exchange. This is the first report of Grania in Ireland since Southern's discovery of Grania maricola in 1913. Grania maricola shares a structurally simple penial bulb type w ith G. pusilla, but the species differ in spermathecal shape, spermath ecal ectal pore position and vas deferens length.