Marine Species Identification Portal : Arenicolides ecaudata

(Johnston, 1865)

Description:
Body narrowing at each end. All but the anteriormost segments superficially divided into five rings, with a strongly rugose epidermis.
Prostomium truncated without lateral lobes.
The first 15-16 chaetigers without gills, then 30-40 pairs of branched, dorsal gills; the last 1-7 segments without gills, but with chaetae.

Size:
Up to 250 mm for 60 segments.

Colour:
Reddish-yellow, reddish brown or metallic black.

Habitat:
In rich mud between stones or in rock crevices at low water. Wormcasts much finer than A. marina.

Distribution:
Eastern North Atlantic to Mediterranean and Skagerrak.

Arenicolides ecaudata