Axiothella serratan. sp. (Polychaeta: Maldanidae) is described and illustrated from intertidal sands of Porirua Harbour, New Zealand (41° 6′ S, 174° 52′ E). It has 22 setigerous segments, and lacks asetigerous preanal segments; the mid‐ventral anal cirrus is conspicuously lengthened. The species is compared with otherAxiothellaspecies.A. cataliniaHartman, 1969 is herein transferred toMaldanella.