Sea mice

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Sea mice
Aphrodita aculeata

Aphrodita aculeata

Systematics
Empire : Animals (Animalia)
Trunk : Annelids (Annelida)
Class : Polychaete (Polychaeta)
Subclass : Aciculata
Order : Phyllodocida
Family : Sea mice
Scientific name
Aphroditidae
Malmgren , 1867

The sea ​​mice , also known as caterpillars ( Aphroditidae ), are a family of mostly large, free-living, predatory polychaeta (polychaeta) that are found in seas around the world.

features

Compared to other multi-bristles, the sea mice usually have a compact, oval, flattened and very broad body. They become up to 20 cm long and 8 to 9 cm wide; only Palmyra aurifera is small, 15 mm long and 8 mm wide. The curved back is covered with an often very iridescent bristle dress. The number of segments in some species in the genus Aphrodita is only between 32 and 36, while in others it is over 40. The prostomium (head lobe) is a double lobe rounded at the front and the peristomium is reduced to lips around the mouth. There is a center antenna while side antennas are absent. Most species have a facial nodule. The ventrally seated, tapering, undivided palps are fused with the anterior surface of the first pair of parapodia . Nuchal organs are present in all species. The longitudinal muscles of the skin muscle tube are arranged in four bundles. The first segment curves around the prostomium and has parapodia similar to those on the other segments. There are two pairs of Tentakular - Cirrus clouds . The notopodia are always shorter than the neuropodia . There are either dorsal cirrus or elytra on all segments; ventral cirrus is also present. In Palmyra aurifera , however, elytra are missing. Many species have simple papillae on the ventral side and on the parapodia. The muscular, evertable pharynx has two pairs of dorsoventrally arranged jaws, which in some species are poorly developed, as well as two end papillae. The intestine has paired blind sacs in most segments. Likewise, in most segments there are mixonephridia with a simple excretory canal . The closed blood vessel system has no central heart. Aciculae are present, the Chaetae are pronounced as differently shaped hairs and spines. The iridescent fur on the back is made up of notochaetae in the form of spines, hairs and fine silky fibers produced by the spinneret. Such silky Notochaetae are otherwise only found in the Acoetidae .

As far as is known, the Aphroditidae are predatory. In the intestine of Aphrodita aculeata , the remains of poly-bristles of the families Terebellidae and Sabellidae , but also of decapods and cordworms, were found, while Laetmonice sp. Housing of foraminifera were. In laboratory tests, Aphrodita aculeata ate live amphipods ( Corophium volutator ), clams ( Limecola balthica ) and polychaetes ( Nephtys hombergii , Nereis diversicolor ), including a Nereis virens that was three times as long as the sea mouse.

The reproductive biology of the Aphroditidae has not been adequately researched. It is believed that most species develop through a free-swimming larval stage. In Palmyra aurifera , the 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm large eggs are so rich in yolks that they can develop directly into worms . Larvae have not yet been studied in any way.

Genera

The Aphroditidae family is divided into 8 genera :

literature

  • Stanley J. Edmonds: Fauna of Australia, Volume 4A. Polychaetes & Allies. The Southern Synthesis 4. Commonwealth of Australia, 2000. Class Polychaeta. Pp. 158-162, Family Aphroditidae.

Web links

Commons : Aphroditidae  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ C. Mettam (1980): On the feeding habits of Aphrodita aculeata and commensal polynoids. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 60 (3), pp. 833-834.
  2. ↑ Aphroditidae Malmgren, 1867. WoRMS , 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.