Lepidonotus squamatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Errantia
Order: Phyllodocida
Family: Polynoidae
Genus: Lepidonotus
Species:
L. squamatus
Binomial name
Lepidonotus squamatus
Synonyms[1]
  • Aphrodita armadillo Bosc, 1802
  • Aphrodita longirostra Bruguière, 1789
  • Aphrodita pedunculata Pennant, 1777
  • Aphrodita punctata Müller, 1771
  • Aphrodita squamata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lepidonote armadillo (Bosc, 1802) sensu Leidy, 1855
  • Lepidonote punctata Örsted, 1843
  • Lepidonotus granularis Leach in Johnston, 1865
  • Lepidonotus verrucosus Leach in Johnston, 1865
  • Polinoe scutellata Risso, 1826
  • Polynoe dasypus Quatrefages, 1866
  • Polynoe inflatae Castelnau, 1842
  • Polynoe punctata Castelnau, 1842
  • Polynoe squamata Savigny in Lamarck, 1818

Lepidonotus squamatus is a species of polychaete worm, commonly known as a "scale worm", in the family Polynoidae. This species occurs in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Aphrodita squamata but was later transferred to the genus Lepidonotus.[1]

Description

The prostomium has two lobes and bears several pairs of antennae, a pair of palps and two pairs of eyes. The dorsal surface of the body, which has uniform width, is completely concealed by two rows of overlapping scales, resembling fish scales. These scales are modified cirri and are supported on short stalks. They are covered in tubercles of varying sizes, and have a fringe of papillae. This worm has 26 segments and grows to a length of about 5 cm (2 in); it is some shade of grey, drab brown or yellow, often being covered with mud.[2][3]

Distribution and habitat

Lepidonotus squamatus occurs in Western Europe, including the North Sea, the Skagerrak, the Kattegat, the Öresund Strait and the western Baltic Sea.[2] It is also present on the eastern seaboard of North America from Labrador southward to New Jersey and on the western seaboard from Alaska to California.[1] It occurs in the littoral zone and the sublittoral zone at depths down to about 2,700 m (8,900 ft). Its habitat is typically beneath stones or among tangled growth.[2]

Ecology

Scale worms play a role on the seabed similar to that of isopods (pill bugs or woodlice) on land. They are carnivorous, feeding on crabs, starfish, gastropod molluscs and any other small invertebrate they come across.[4]

The scales of Lepidonotus squamatus emit a faint bioluminescent glow. This is a defensive mechanism, because any predator feeding on the worm is likely to acquire some scales which will adhere to its mouthparts; these will make it more visible, alerting its own predators to its whereabouts.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fauchald, Kristian (2008). "Lepidonotus squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 M.J. de Kluijve. "Lepidonotus squamatus". Macrobenthos of the North Sea: Polychaeta. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. ↑ Ruppert, Edward E.; Fox, Richard, S.; Barnes, Robert D. (2004). Invertebrate Zoology, 7th edition. Cengage Learning. p. 445. ISBN 978-81-315-0104-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 Frost, Emily; Waters, Hannah (1 July 2015). "14 Fun Facts About Marine Bristle Worms". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.