CLADISTIC-ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF PRIONOSPIO AND RELATED GENERA (POLYCHAETA, SPIONIDAE)

The phylogenetic relationships of Prionospio Malmgren, 1867 are estima ted in two parsimony analyses. The first analysis includes type and ot her species of Prionospio (Prionospio) Malmgren, 1867, P. (Minuspio) F oster, 1971, P. (Aquilaspio) Foster, 1971. Apoprionospio Foster. 1969, Aurospio Maciolek. 1981, Paraprionospio Caullery. 1914, Streblospio W ebster, 1897, Laubieriellus Maciolek, 1981, and Orthoprionospio Blake &: Kudenov, 1978, all members of a group of closely related taxa. Prio nospio banyulensis Laubier, 1966 is included as a separate taxon since its relationship to Prionospio has been questioned. The single most p arsimonious tree supports monophyly of a group containing P. (Prionosp io), P. (Minuspio), P. (. Aquilaspio), and Apoprionospio. Based on the tree topology from the first analysis, 14 species belonging to differ ent subgenera of Prionospio and Apoprionospio are included in a more r estricted analysis, with Orothoprionospio cirriformia Blake & Kudenov, 1978 as outgroup. Three equally parsimonious trees were obtained, dif fering only in the positions of Prionospio ehlersi Fauvel, 1928, Prion ospio henriki Hylleberg & Nateewathana, 1990. and Prionospio rugosa Si gvaldadottir, 1997. The results of the two analyses are compared to ea rlier classifications. As support is lacking for monophyly of both sub genera P. (Minuspio) and P. (Aquilaspio), they are synonymized with P. (Prionospio). Apoprionospio cannot be justified as a separate genus w ithout making Prionospio paraphyletic, and is synonymized with Prionos pio. Two species. P. banyulensis and P. pilkena Wilson, 1990, are tran sferred to Aurospio. A checklist of species belonging to Prionospio se nsu lato, together with information on type locality and location of t ype specimens, is included. (C)1998 The Norwegian Academy of Science a nd Letters.