A new species, Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov., is described from the east and south shores of Oahu, Hawaii. Poecilochaetus anterospinus sp. nov. is unique in the genus by the presence of noto- and neuropodial spines from chaetiger 11 to posterior segments. Neuropodial spines on anterior chaetigers are absent in all other Poecilochaetus species while notopodial spines are limited to segments preceding the pygidium. Poecilochaetus cf. koshikiensis, originally described from Japan, is newly recorded from Hawaii and apparently widely distributed in the western Pacific and South-east Asian Seas. Poecilochaetus sp. is distinguished from the other two species by the distribution of the ampullaceous cirri (7–12) and its chaetal characters.