Family POECILOCHAETIDAE

Poecilochaetus sp.

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Family POECILOCHAETIDAE

Compiler and date details

Jan 2011 - P. Hutchings & M. Yerman, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

31 July 2003

Introduction

The Poecilochaetidae are benthic polychaetes that are most often found in fine sediments, mostly in shallow warm temperate seas. They are capable of both surface deposit and suspension feeding, using their grooved palps, but little else is known of their biology.

Figures of 1 genus and 4 species were given by Beesley et al. (2000: App. 1) for representation of the family in Australian waters, and 1 genus and 31 species worldwide. Of the 4 species mentioned in Beesley et al. (2000), 2 are undescribed — this database includes the 2 described species of Poecilochaetus from Australia.

See Wilson (2000) for detailed treatment of the family.

Database Notes

checked against DELTA CD, 2003 by RTJ

Diagnosis

General features. Body shape vermiform; segments numerous (more than about 15); regionation absent. Pygidium simple ring or cone. Pygidial appendages present; three cirri, or four cirri.
Head & head structures. Head discrete and compact, dorsal to mouth. Prostomium rounded to oval (anteriorly truncate). Facial tubercle present. Eyes present; two pairs; situated on prostomium; without lenses. Prostomial antennae present; single arising anteromedially; smooth. Palps paired; longitudinally grooved; dorsolateral. Nuchal organs tri-lobed posterior projection. Peristomial ring absent.
Pharynx & pharyngeal apparatus. Foregut a ventral pharyngeal organ; dorsolateral ciliated folds present.
Body segments & parapodia. First segment chaetigerous. First chaetiger with both notochaetae and neurochaetae; anteriorly directed and wrapping around head; chaetae slender and elongate, forming cage around head. Parapodia biramous with prominent parapodial lobes; notopodial lobes slender, flask- or spindle-shaped (rarely cirriform); neuropodial lobes slender, flask- or spindle-shaped (rarely cirriform). Lateral organs present. Dorsal cirri absent. Ventral cirri absent. Branchiae absent, or present; arise from parapodia (posterior face); occur on at least some chaetigerous segments; digitiform, or branching.
Chaetae. Notochaetae present. Aciculae absent. Capillary chaetae hair-like; smooth, or corn-eared, or hirsute-serrate. Spines present in most or all chaetigers; in both notopodia and neuropodia (posterior spines in notopodial position); slightly curved and more-or-less smooth, or with series of rings or half-rings of spinelets, or with a single distal or subdistal hair (=aristate or hooded), or sharply bent (=geniculate) or curved. Hooks absent.
Tube & burrow. Tube membraneous (U-shaped or branching).

The above description was generated from: 'C.J. Glasby & K. Fauchald (2002 onwards). POLiKEY. An information system for polychaete families and higher taxa: Version 1: September 2002.'
(See ABRS website: Online Resources: Polikey, for Version 2, released June 2003)