Fauchald, 1974

Description:
Prostomium bilobed, with a pair of eyes. Five antennae, each irregularly divided into 5-9 sections. Peristomium twice as long as following segments. Cirri of apodous segment annulated, reaching the frontal margin of the peristomium.
Gills begin on chaetiger 3 or 4; with a maximum of 3-4 filaments where best developed; they are absent posterior to chaetigers 37-45. Dorsal cirri divided into three long sections and are longer than the gills (E. dubitata-parapodium). Chaetae of four kinds: 1) winged capillary chaetae; 2) comb-chaetae; 3) compound chaetae with bidentate hooded hooked blades; 4) stout simple bidentate hooded hooks, which start on chaetigers 31-39. Aciculae and hooks black.
Pygidium unknown.
Mandibles strongly calcified anteriorly. Maxillae I: hooked; maxillae II: 6 teeth each; left maxilla III: 8 teeth; maxillae IV: 6 and 8 teeth; maxillae V: unidentate (E. dubitata-jaw apparatus).

Size:
Incomplete specimen with 114 chaetigers 130 mm long.

Colour:
Unknown, strongly iridescent.

Habitat:
On soft bottoms with sponges and on coral in deep subtidal to bathyal zones.

Distribution:
Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean, northern North Sea, Kattegat, Hardanger Fjord, Norway.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Eunicida
Superfamily Eunicoidea
Family Eunicidae
Genus Eunice
Species Eunice dubitata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Eunice dubitata Fauchald, 1974

Scientific synonyms and common names

Eunice dubitatus Fauchald, 1974

Fauchald, C., 1992. A review of the genus Eunice based upon type material. Smithsonian Cont. Zool., 523: 1-422.

George, J.D. & G. Hartmann-Schröder, 1985. Polychaetes: British Amphinomida, Spintherida and Eunicida. Synopses of the British Fauna (NS), 32: 1-221.

Hartmann-Schröder, G., 1996. Annelida, Borstenwürmer, Polychaeta. Tierwelt Deutschlands, 58: 1-648.

You can continue searching for Eunice dubitata on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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