Three new species of Echinoderidae (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida) from two seamounts and the adjacent deep-sea floor in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Three new species of Echinoderes (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida: Echinoderidae) are described from two Northeast Atlantic seamounts and the adjacent deep-sea floor. Echinoderes apex sp. nov. from the Great Meteor Seamount and the Sedlo Seamount is characterized by a combination of: a small trunk length (165-215 mu m); middorsal acicular spines on segments 4, 6, and 8; tubes ventrolaterally on segment 2, lateroventrally on segment 5, and laterodorsally on segment 10; lateroventral acicular spines on segments 6-9; long lateral terminal spines, 60.0-80.2% of trunk length; and type-2 glandular cell outlets subdorsally on segment 2, sublaterally on segment 6, and lateral accessorily on segment 8. Echinoderes bathyalis sp. nov. from the deep-sea floor near the Sedlo Seamount is characterized by a combination of: a small trunk length (224-243 mu m); middorsal acicular spines on segments 4-8 with a spine on segment 8 being very long (ca. 50% of trunk length); lateral accessory tubes on segment 5; lateroventral acicular spines on segments 6-9; and type-2 glandular cell outlets midlaterally on segment 2. Echinoderes meteorensis sp. nov. from the Great Meteor Seamount differs from its congeners in a combination of: a small trunk length (157-196 mu m); presence of middorsal acicular spines on segments 4, 6, and 8; tubes lateroventrally on segment 5, lateral accessorily on segment 8, and laterodorsally on segment 10; lateroventral acicular spines on segments 6-9; and type-2 glandular cell outlets in subdorsal and lateral accessory positions on segment 2. Echinoderes apex occurs on two seamount summits, whereas E. meteorensis occurs on one seamount summit, and no species occur both on a seamount summit and on the deep-sea floor.