Type-species: Bathyvermilia challengeri Zibrowius, 1973
Diagnosis (from ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009).
Tube white, opaque, circular in cross-section, longitudinal keel may be present. Collar-like rings present. Granular overlay absent. Operculum sub-globular, with simple flat to slightly conical chitinous endplate, which may be encrusted by calcareous deposit. Peduncle cylindrical, smooth or wrinkled, without distal wings; inserted as second dorsal radiole on one side, constriction present. Pseudoperculum absent. Arrangement of radioles in semi-circles, up to 35 per lobe. Inter-radiolar membrane absent. Branchial eyes not observed. Stylodes absent. Mouth palps may be present. Seven thoracic chaetigerous segments. Collar trilobed (may be non-lobed) with entire edge, tonguelets absent. Thoracic membranes variable, ending at 2 nd— 7 th thoracic segment. Collar chaetae limbate. Apomatus chaetae present. Thoracic uncini saw-shaped, with 6 to 10 teeth. Anterior fang simple, pointed. Abdominal chaetae flat, narrow geniculate with blunt teeth; abdominal uncini saw-shaped, except in a few far posterior segments, with rasp-shaped uncini. Short achaetous anterior abdominal zone present. Posterior capillary chaetae present. Posterior glandular pad present.
Remarks. The genus currently contains 5 species from bathyal and abyssal depths (ten Hove & Kupriyanova 2009), including three species (B. challengeri Zibrowius, 1973, B. kupriyanovae Bastida- Zavala, 2008, and B. zibrowiusi Kupriyanova, 1993) known from the North Pacific Ocean. Zibrowius (1973) summarized morphological differences for Bathyvermilia Zibrowius, 1973, Metavermilia Bush, 1905 sensu Zibrowius, 1971, Pseudovermilia Bush, 1907, and Vermiliopsis Saint-Joseph, 1894, previously all united under Vermiliopsis, however it remains unclear whether any of these nominal genera constitute monophyletic groups.