Genus Eurypon Gray, 1867

Worldwide 54 species have been described (de Voogd, et al. 2023). The Eurypon genus is cosmopolitan, reported from the Atlantic (north, south, east, west), Mediterranean (east and west), Caribbean, Pacific (north, south, east, west; no previous published records north of Mexico for the Northeast Pacific), Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Aegian Sea, Barents Sea (north and south). None have been reported for arctic or antarctic seas. Eurypon species occur discontinuously bathymetrically from littoral to over 2400 m. No Eurypon species spans shallow to deep water (with the possible exception of E. viride [Topsent, 1889]: 67–842 m). Eurypon species have been recorded in the Northwest Pacific in Japan ( Eurypon duoacanthostyla (Hoshino, 1981), Eurypon inuisitatiacanthostyla (Hoshino, 1981)) . Northeast Pacific Eurypon were recorded for the Pacific coast of Mexico ( Eurypon atriciae Aguilar-Camacho & Carballo, 2013, Eurypon brunum Aguilar-Camacho & Carballo, 2013, Eurypon diversicolor Aguilar-Camacho & Carballo, 2013) and Hawaii ( Eurypon nigrum Bergquist, 1967). Most Eurypon species are thin encrusting (0.25–2 mm), with a hispid or hirsute surface, and yellow to orange. Skeleton is commonly microcionid, usually with erect style variants (tylostyles, subtylostyles, styles), with acanthostyles heads down on a spongin basal plate; tornotes, oxeas or strongyles may replace or complement stylote spicule types. Microscleres, if present, are raphides which may form trichodragmas. A specialized ectosome is often lacking (Hooper 2002 [2004]a). A number of Eurypon species, including some in the North Pacific have the main skeleton echinated by acanthostyles or other spicules, i.e., are considered to be hymedesmioid (see Table 2).

We identify three new species of Eurypon from BC fjords which fit Hooper’s definition of the genus. Based on published descriptions, none of the BC specimens is conspecific with North Pacific described species (see Table 2 and Remarks under each species).