Falcidens n. sp.
General description:
Aplacophoran mollusc. Body ~1cm in length, thin and wormlike. Body covered in tiny leaflike spines (spicules), giving the body a velvet-like appearance.
No foot or pedal groove. Body divided into 4 regions- Beck, anterior trunk, posterior trunk and posterium. Neck distinct, wider than rest of body. Cephalic shield with dorsal cleft, U- or kidney-shaped Posterium ends abruptly- a flant/blunt end, ringed with longer spicules. Spicules erect on neck, anterior trunk and posterium, lying flat on posterior trunk. Spicules with 7-8 low longitudinal ridges.
These characters, combined with a lack of prior sampling of the Great Australian Bight, suggest that this is a new species of Falcidens.
Distribution:
South Australia: Great Australian Bight
Habitat:
Depth 440 m