Home|Search|Identify|Taxonomic tree|Quiz|About this site|Feedback
Developed by ETI BioInformatics
Characteristics, distribution and ecology
Taxonomische classification
Synonyms and common names
Literature references
Images, audio and video
Distribution map
Links to other Web sites

Claparède, 1868

Description:
Body soft. Tentacular ridge and upper lip pleated. Tentacles of two types, long cylindrical ones and short, distally thickened ones. One unpaired and 8-11 paired ventral shields. Notopodial chaetae long and short, starting at segment 3. 30-70 segments with cylindrical notopodia with chaetae. Uncinigerous tori usually from the 9th chaetiger, rarely anterior to this, often from segments 10-12. Pygidium with small papillae.

Size:
Up to 100 mm for 90 segments.

Tube:
Mucous, not lasting, phosphorescent.

Colour:
In life orange to yellow, tentacular ridge spotted, tentacles yellowish, more or less pale; bluish or violet phosphorescence.

Habitat:
On soft bottoms or among algae, serpulids, hydroids or dead shells.

Distribution:
Eastern North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, North American Pacific. Rona, Norfolk.

Polycirrus caliendrum