Unciherpia hirsuta a new genus and species of aplacophoran (Mollusca solenogastres : Pararrhopaliidae) from Galicia, northwest Spain

During the sampling expeditions of the project FAUNA IBERICA, 14 specimens of a new species and genus of Solenogastres, Uniciherpia hirsuta, were coll ected from the Banco de Galicia (NW Spain) (42 degrees 42 ' 22 "N-42 degree s 43 ' 00 "N; 11 degrees 47 ' 52 "W - 11 degrees 45 ' 47 "W) found on the c oral Madrepora oculata (Linnaeus, 1758) at 760-769 m. depth. This new speci es is characterized by a body of 10.8 mm in length by 1.3 mm in width, with out keel or lumps. Spicules are of four types: long, straight with a harpoo n tip; acicular, slightly, curved with a serrated end; acicular and slightl y sigmoid; and hooked with a sharp tip over the hook and the proximal end s igmoid-shaped. The mouth opening lies in the atrium; the ventral groove has one fold that does not enter the pallial cavity; there are 16 follicular g lands encircling the pharynx and opening into it; there is a pair of short rostral caecum; one dorsoterminal sense organ; and eight respiratory folds. The creation of a new subfamily Unciherpiinae, of the family Pararrhopalid ae is proposed to classify the new genera Uniciherpia. This new sub-family is diagnosed by the hooked spicules and follicular glands around the pharyn x.