A New Species of Muddy Bristle Worm, Paraleocrates indica sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Hesionidae) from the Bay of Bengal, India

Paraleocrates indica sp. nov. is newly identified from the Champa Estuary, Bay of Bengal, India, and it is the third species described in this genus. The species is distinguished from other known Paraleocrates species by anterior eyes that are five times larger than the posterior ones; neurochaetal blades unidentate; without notoacicular lobes; scarce neurochaetae per bundle (23–30); lateral antennae with distinct ceratophores; and long tentacular cirri reaching chaetigers 4–5. Lateral antennae of the new species are with ceratophore, and are 1.7 times shorter than prostomium, while they are slightly shorter than those in P. djangkarensis and P. wesenberglundae. The genus Paraleocrates is recorded for the first time in Indian waters. The newly discovered species was collected from the mudflat of intertidal zones during the low tide at Champa Estuary, West Bengal, India. The key characteristics to identify all species in the genus are also included in this paper.