Table 2. A comparison of the main morphological characters between species of Loimia ingens complex and L. hannae sp. nov.CharacterLoimia ingens (Grube, 1878)Loimia ingens sensu Hutchings & Glasby1988Loimia ingens sensu Wang et al. 2020Loimia hannae sp. nov.1 st lateral lobeWell developedWell developed, connected mid-ventrallyRounded, connected mid-ventrallyWell developed, connected mid-ventrally2 nd lateral lobeArises from the junction S2 and S3Arises from the junction S2 and S3, not extending ventrallyProminent and rounded, arises from the junction S2 and S3, not extending ventrallyEar-shaped, rounded, in segment 3, not extending ventrallyType localityBohol, PhilippinesAustraliaChinaIsraelDistributionPhilippinesSouth PacificChinaEast Med – Israel and LebanonPigmentationWhite lateral bands on the thorax and anterior abdomenRanges from lack of pigmentation to banded buccal tentacles and body pigmentationBeige to pinkish with banded buccal tentacles and blood red region on ventral shieldsVariable – beige to pinkish, with some darker spots on the posterior dorsumEyespotsNAAbsentAbsent/presentAbsent/presentBranchiae3 pairs, 2–4 seg. Decreasing in size from 1st to 3rd. Short stalk3 pairs, 2–4 seg. Vary in size3 pairs, 2–4 seg. 1st and 2nd same size, 3rd smallest. Long basal stem3 pairs, 2–4 seg. decreasing in size. Short basal stemVentral shieldsSegments 2–15NASegments 3–14, rectangular to trapezoidalSegments 2–15 (holotype) 2–17 (other material), rectangular and trapezoidalAbdominal mid ventral grooveNANAPresentPresentUncini no. of teeth33–53–74–6PygidiumNANANot seenPygidium with 7–8 papillaeSourceGrube 1878Hutchings & Glasby 1988Wang et al. 2020This study