PORT PHILLIP BAY


Dorvilleid worm 

Schistomeringos loveni (Kinberg, 1865)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Family level description.
Dorvilleidae are a diverse family which include many highly modified commensal and even parasitic forms, however the commonly seen species are free-living in soft sediments and are morphologically uniform: they have a simple prostomium with 4 similar appendages (comprising a pair of antennae and a pair of palps). The eversible pharynx carries a distinctive series of hard denticles sometimes visible through the ventral body wall even without dissection as two dark arcs. Dorsal bundles of chaetae are absent; ventrally chaetae include simple capillaries, forked chaetae and chaetae with compound blades.

Species level technical description.
Paired antennae present; articulated. Paired palps present; with palpostyle. Ventral muscular pharyngeal apparatus with linear muscle cells and parallel myofilaments. Mandibles (and maxillae) present. Mandibles triangular-shaped; accessory anterolateral teeth present. Maxillary carrier present; free from superior basal plates. Superior basal plates fused posteriorly. Superior free denticles present; more than 8. Inferior basal plates present. Inferior free denticles present. Dorsal cirrus present; from chaetiger 2; with distal article (cirrostyle); equal in length or extending just short of acicular lobe. Ventral neuropodial chaetal lobe absent. Suprachaetal lobes of anterior neuropodia absent. Ventral cirri present. Notoaciculae present; occur on most chaetigers. Neuroaciculae present. Supra-acicular, furcate (or geniculate) neurochaetae present; tines unequal in length. Supra-acicular, capillary neurochaetae present. Sub-acicular, compound neurochaetae present. Anal cirri present; two pairs present. Median, ventral, unpaired pygidial stylus absent. Male unpaired copulatory organ absent.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Annelida
Class:
Polychaeta
Order:
Eunicida
Family:
Dorvilleidae
Genus:
Schistomeringos
Species:
loveni

General Description

In members of this genus furcate (or geniculate) neurochaetae are present. In Schistomeringos loveni the furcate chaetae have prongs of unequal lengths and dorsal cirri appear from chaetiger 3. Body up to about 3 cm long.

Biology

This is the only species in the genus known from southern Australia, but others occur in the north.

Habitat

Estuaries, embayments, continental shelf, sand, mud and weed beds, to depth of 80 m.

Soft substrates

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Worms › Dorvilleid worms

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

3 cm

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 318

Identify

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Wilson, R.

Robin Wilson is a Senior Curator of marine invertebrates at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Wilson, R., 2011, Dorvilleid worm, Schistomeringos loveni, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/7617

Text: creative commons cc by licence