Acanthicolepis Explained

Acanthicolepis is a genus of marine annelids in the family Polynoidae (scale worms). The genus was described in 1990^[1] and includes two short-bodied species with up to 50 segments and which occur in the Mediterranean Sea and North-east Atlantic Ocean.^[2]

Description

Body short, with up to 50 segments and 18 pairs of elytra on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26, 29, 32, 34, 35, and 38. The prostomium has a pair of anterior peaks and the lateral antennae are inserted terminoventrally. Parapodia with both dorsal (notopodial) and ventral (neuropodial) acicula penetrating epidermis. The notochaetae are stout, with numerous rows of spines; the neurochaetae are more slender and include both unidentate (lack a secondary tooth at the tips) and bidentate forms (see Barnich & Fiege, 2010 for detailed diagnosis).^[3]

Species

Two valid species of Acanthicolepis are recognised as of June 2020:^[4]

• Acanthicolepis asperrima (M. Sars, 1861)
• Acanthicolepis zibrowii Barnich & Fiege, 2010

Notes and References

1. 1. 2. 215–442. McIntosh. William Carmichael. A monograph of British Annelids. vol.1. pt.2. Polychaeta Amphinomidae to Sigalionidae. Ray Society of London. 1900.
2. 2525. 1–18. Barnich. R.. Fiege. D.. On the distinction of Harmothoe globifera (G.O. Sars, 1873) and some other easily confused polynoids in the NE Atlantic, with the description of a new species of Acanthicolepis Norman in McIntosh, 1900 (Polychaeta, Polynoidae). Zootaxa. 2010. 10.11646/zootaxa.2525.1.1.
3. 85. 313–319. Barnich. R.. Gil. J.. Fiege. D.. Revision of the genus Acanthicolepis Norman in McIntosh, 1900 (Polychaeta, Polynoidae, Polynoinae). Sarsia. 2000. 4. 10.1080/00364827.2000.10414582. 82247706.
4. Web site: Read. G.. Fauchald. K.. World Polychaeta database. Acanthicolepis McIntosh, 1900. World Register of Marine Species.