Zachs, 1922

Description:
Body long and cylindrical.
Anterior end obliquely truncated, with a long, ventrally incised collar. Mouth subterminal. Two eyes set ventrolaterally.
First three segments short, with notopodia only. Following segments longer with notopodia and neuropodial tori. The most posterior segments are much shorter, with very long capillary chaetae.
Notopodial chaetae all capillaries. Neuropodial chaetae numerous small, bidentate hooks with one tooth higher than the other (M. oculata-chaetae).
Pygidium with a pair of lateral lappets; sometimes also a dorsal lappet present.

Size:
Up to 30 mm for 34 segments.

Tube:
Membranous, encrusted with small sand-grains, not usually overlapping.

Colour:
Yellowish or reddish. Some populations with a dark pigment band over the prostomium.

Habitat:
In soft sediments, sublittoral to 2800 m.

Distribution:
North Sea to Öresund, Arctic, North Pacific, North Atlantic.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Oweniida
Family Oweniidae
Genus Myriochele
Species Myriochele oculata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Myriochele oculata Zachs, 1922

Scientific synonyms and common names

Myriochele oculata Zachs, 1922

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

Imajima, M. & Y. Morita, 1987. Oweniidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from Japan. Bull. natn. Sci. Mus., Tokyo, Ser. A, 13(3): 85-102.

Kirkegaard, J.B., 1996. Havbørsteorme II. Danmarks Fauna, 86: 1-451.

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