The annelid community of a natural deep-sea whale fall off eastern Australia

In the deep ocean, whale falls (deceased whales that sink to seafloor) act as a boost of productivity in this otherwise generally food-limited setting, nourishing organisms from sharks microbes during various stages their decomposition. Annelid worms are habitual colonizers falls, with new species regularly reported these settings and systematics helping resolve biogeographic patterns among deep-sea organic fall environments. During 2017 expedition Australian research vessel RV Investigator sample bathyal abyssal communities off Australia’s east coast, natural was opportunistically trawled at ~1000 m depth. study, we provide detailed taxonomic descriptions annelids associated whale-fall community, using both morphological molecular techniques. From material describe nine five families (Dorvilleidae: Ophryotrocha dahlgreni sp. nov. hanneloreae nov., ravarae nov.; Hesionidae: Vrijenhoekia timoharai Nereididae: Neanthes adriangloveri visicete Orbiniidae: Orbiniella jamesi nov.), including two belonging bone-eating genus Osedax (Siboglinidae: waadjum byronbayensis nov.) first be described waters. We further systematic accounts for 10 taxa within Ampharetidae, Amphinomidae, Microphthalmidae, Nereididae, Orbiniidae, Phyllodocidae, Protodrilidae, Sphaerodoridae Phascolosomatidae. Our investigations uncover unique occurrences time enable evaluation links between others western Pacific well worldwide.