Nerilla antennata

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Nerilla antennata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Polychaeta
Order: Haplodrili
Family: Nerillidae
Genus: Nerilla
Species:
N. antennata
Binomial name
Nerilla antennata
Eduard Oscar Schmidt, 1848

Nerilla antennata is 1–2 mm colourless meiofaunal polychaete. It is often found in aquaculture.

Morphology[edit]

Nerilla antennata has nine segments with chaetae and a prostomium with two very large clavate palpates and three segmented tentacles. On the prostomium it has four eyes and two ciliated nuchal organs on the side. The other segments have both dorsally – and ventrally parapods with simple chaetae. The peristomium has two segmented anal cirri.

Male specimens can be identified by three pairs of gonoducts at segment 6 - 8. Females have ovaries at segment 6 and oviducts at segment 7. [1][2]

Ecology[edit]

The marine species. Nerilla antennata lives interstitially (between grains of sand) and between algae. It is widely distributed with findings in European waters and around New Zealand. WoRMS The larval development has no pelagic stadium. [3]

Systematics[edit]

Generally the family Nerillidae has few segments, two palpates and up to three tentacles.[4] The family includes the 15 marine genera. WoRMS

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kirkegaard J. B. (1996). "Danmarks Fauna". 86 (Havbørsteorme. II. Sedantaria ed.). Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening: 245–246. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ Westheide W. (1990). "Synopses of the Britiah Fauna". 2 (Polychaetes: Interstitial Families ed.). Universal Book Services for the Linnean Society of London and the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association: 56–57. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Kirkegaard J. B. (1996). "Danmarks Fauna". 86 (Havbørsteorme. II. Sedantaria ed.). Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening: 245–246. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Higgins R. P. and Thiel H. (1992). "Introduction to the Study of Meiofauna". Smithsonian Institution Press: 334. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)