First record of genus Gallardoneris (Polychaeta: Lumbrineridae) in Mediterranean marine waters

The occurrence of the lumbrinerid polychaeteGallardoneris iberica along the North Adriatic coast is here reported for the first time. The specimens of G. iberica have been recently discovered and described from the Portuguese continental shelf. Specimens of G. iberica collected in the Adriatic Sea were compared with paratypes and some relevant morphological characters were revised, illustrated and discussed. The record of G. iberica here reported represents a new addition to the fauna of Italian marine waters extending hence the geographical distribution of the genus Gallardoneris to the Mediterranean Sea.