Order Spionida
Family Poecilochaetidae
Features |
|
| Body: |
long and slender |
| Prostomium: |
small and rounded |
| Peristomium: |
reduced |
| Eye: |
2 or 4 |
| Antennae: |
1; frontal or median at prostomium |
| Cirri: |
2 or 4; at the first segment |
| Palp: |
2; at the postectal corners |
| Pharynx: |
non-eversible |
| Parapodium: |
biramous; with lateral sense-organs
between rami |
| Setea: |
capillaries, pectinate, plumose and
acicular |
| Anal cirri: |
3 or 4 |
| (Fauchald 1977) |
|
Biological Notes
Poecilochaetids
can be found in shallow tropic waters and from intertidal to deep waters. They
are deposit and suspension feeders on algae and diatoms. They burrow in
mud-filled crevices and stretch out their very long, grooved tentacles for seaching
detritus. They may live in friable mucus tubes covered with foraminiferan shells
(Day 1967). Three new species of Poecilochaetus were reported from
Hong Kong (Mackie 1990). They were P. hystricosus (from Tolo habour and Long Habour), P.
spinulosus (from Tso Wo
Hang and Wong Keng Tei) and P. tricirratus (from Mirs Bay and Tolo Channel).
Genera and Species Reported in Hong Kong
Poecilochaetus hystricosus*
Poecilochaetus spinulosus*
Poecilochaetus tricirratus*
* new species |
