Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers, 1901), a poorly known and potentially cosmopolitan polychaete, was examined from museum specimens and from collections in Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea. New observations indicate that previous Chinese records of P. pinnata are doubtful, and that Chinese waters contain at least three valid species of Paraprionospio, two are known and one is new. Paraprionospio inaequibranchia (Caullery, 1914) and Paraprionospio coora Wilson, 1990, previously misidentified as P. pinnata, are reported from Chinese waters for the first time. Paraprionospio cristata, new species, is characterized by having brown pigment patches on the prostomium, ventral crests on chaetigers 9 and 10, dorsal crests on the middle part of the body (from chaetigers 21–23, not beyond chaetiger 29), thin filaments on chaetiger 3, and bifoliate branchial lamellae.