Identification Key to Common Families

  The identication key is a useful and quick reference to identify polychaetes. This key distincts polychaetes down to family level. Also this key only classifies the marine errant polychaetes which are most commonly found in Hong Kong during this project study.

How to distinct errant and sedentary polychaetes?

Marine Sedentary Polychaetes in Hong Kong:

http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bhworm/sedentary

 
a)   Dorsum with series of elytrae (scales)   present at the dorsal side of notopodial base 

       

        b)   Dorsum without elytrae

 

a)   Neurosetae composite

 

               

  Sigalionidae

         b)   Neurosetae simple

               

  Polynoidae

a)   One pair of antennae or more present

 

                  

b)   No antennae or palp. Prostomium is conical in shape

                  

  Lumbrineridae

a)   Palps absent

 

            

          b)   Palps present

              

a)   Prostomium is long and conical, usually annulated, with two pairs of antennae at the tip

 

                

b)   Prostomium would not be more than twice than as long as wide, never annulated

              

a)   Eversible pharynx with 4 jaws in a cross, parapodia are all uniramous or all biramous

 

  Glyceridae    

b)   Eversible pharynx with more than 4 jaws, parapodia uniramous anteriorly and biramous posteriorly

       

  Goniadidae

a)   Dorsal cirri large and foliose

 

          

  Phyllodocidae

b)   Interrama cirri between the notopodia and 

          neuropodia

         

  Nephtyidae

a)   Palps are simple or reduced

 

            

          b)   Palps are biarticulated or multiarticulated

 

            

a)   Prostomium continues posteriorly to form a caruncle

 

            

  Amphinomidae

          b)   Caruncle absent

  

a)   Palps are ventrolateral pads on the peristomium, 2 + 5 antennae ( 2 frontal + 5 occipital )

           

  Onuphidae

b)   Palps are fused to the prostomium, so that, the latter appears to form a cleft anteriorly

           

a)   Eversible pharynx is unarmed

Pilargiidae     

b)   Eversible pharnyx with 4 pairs of upper and 1 pair of lower jaws

Eunicidae        

a)   Palps are multiarticulated; tentacular cirri absent

             

  Dorvilleidae

b)   Palps are biarticulated; at least have one pair of tentacular cirri

            

a)   Pharynx with a pair of jaws; papillae present on the surface; parapodia biramous 

          

  Nereidae

b)   Pharynx usually without jaws and papillae on the surface of pharynx, but have distal papillae; parapodia are uniramous

          

  Hesionidae 

Introduction Common Families Identification key Glossary References

Developed by: P. L. Chan     Last modified: 4 April,00