Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Paraonidae

Paraonidae

Museums

Regional Maps

Family PARAONIDAE


Compiler and date details

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

24 July 2003

Introduction

Paraonids are elongate, thread-like worms. They have a coiled body and bluntly conical prostomium. They are deposit-feeders and are found from the intertidal to the deep sea, and are especially common in soft sediments.

Figures of 3 genera and 3 species were given by Beesley et al. (2000: App. 1) for representation of the family in Australian waters, and 12 genera and 86 species worldwide. This database includes 6 species from 3 genera.

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

Database Notes

proof read against Day & Hutchings 1979 by RW; no subsequent records added
checked against DELTA CD, 2003 by RTJ

 

Diagnosis

General features. Body shape vermiform; segments numerous (more than about 15); regionation absent. Ventral groove absent. Pygidium simple ring or cone. Pygidial appendages present; one pair of cirri, or more than four cirri, or three cirri (typical).
Head & head structures. Head discrete and compact, dorsal to mouth. Prostomium bluntly conical to trapezoidal (narrow end anteriorly); anteriorly without deep incisions, cirri or palpodes, or with a palpode. Eyes absent, or present; one pair; situated on prostomium; without lenses. Prostomial antennae absent, or present; single arising anteromedially (may be absent); smooth. Palps absent. Nuchal organs indistinct paired dorsolateral patches. Peristomial ring absent.
Pharynx & pharyngeal apparatus. Foregut a non-muscular axial proboscis, or a ventral pharyngeal organ; dorsolateral ciliated folds absent, or present.
Body segments & parapodia. First segment chaetigerous. First chaetiger with both notochaetae and neurochaetae. Parapodia biramous with parapodial lobes absent or low; notopodial lobes represented by at least one chaetal lobe; neuropodial lobes represented by at least one chaetal lobe. Lateral organs absent, or present. Dorsal cirri absent. Ventral cirri absent. Branchiae present; arise from dorsum; occur on at least some chaetigerous segments (limited region); digitiform (may be flattened).
Chaetae. Notochaetae present. Aciculae absent. Capillary chaetae hair-like; smooth, or hirsute-serrate. Forked chaetae absent, or present; lyrate type; tines distinctly unequal in length. Spines present in most or all chaetigers; in both notopodia and neuropodia; slightly curved and more-or-less smooth, or with a single distal or subdistal hair (=aristate or hooded). Hooks absent, or present (rarely); with a distal hood; occur in many chaetigers but only one ramus.
Tube & burrow. Tube absent or unconsolidated. Burrow traces horizontal spirals.

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)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
17-Oct-2023 03-Feb-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)