Hungry scale worms: Phylogenetics of (Polynoidae, Annelida), with four new species.

Polynoidae Kinberg, 1856 has five branchiate genera: Pettibone, 1984, Pettibone, 1985, Pettibone, 1985, Desbruyères & Laubier, 1988, and Miura, 1994, all native to deep-sea, chemosynthetic-based habitats. Of these, has two accepted species; Desbruyères & Laubier, 1988 (Atlantic Ocean) and Pettibone, 1993 (East Pacific Ocean). The goal of this study was to assess the phylogenetic position of , utilizing DNA sequences from a broad sampling of deep-sea polynoids. Representatives from all five branchiate genera were included, several species of which were sampled from near the type localities; Pettibone, 1985 from the Galápagos Rift (E/V "Nautilus"); from organic remains in the Atlantic Ocean; from a whalefall off southern California (R/V "Western Flyer") and Miura, 1994 from Lau Back-Arc Basin in the western Pacific (R/V "Melville"). Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using mitochondrial (COI, 16S rRNA, and CytB) and nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and H3) genes. The analyses revealed four new species from the Pacific Ocean that are formally described here: Hatch & Rouse, , type locality Pescadero Basin in the Gulf of California, Mexico (R/V "Western Flyer"); Hatch & Rouse, and Hatch & Rouse, , both with a type locality in Monterey Canyon off California (R/V "Western Flyer") and Hatch & Rouse, from Costa Rica methane seeps (R/V "Falkor"). In addition to DNA sequence data, the monophyly of is supported by the presence of ventral papillae on segments 12-15. The results also demonstrated the paraphyly of and Pettibone, 1983 and taxonomic revision of these genera is required. We apply the subfamily name Lepidonotopodinae Pettibone 1983, for the clade comprised of , , , , , Pettibone, 1985, , and .