Nephtyidae Explained

Nephtyidae is a family of polychaete worms.[1] They are commonly referred to as catworms.[2]

Characteristics

Nephtyidae are pale, clearly segmented polychaetes with a small pentagonal prostomium with two pairs of small antennae. Their segments are little differentiated and have a rectangular cross-section.[3]
Nephtyids are active predators, with a strong muscular proboscis, armed with two well developed jaws.[4]

They can dig relatively fast through sandy sediments. They can also swim with sinuous movements.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nephtyidae NBN Atlas. species.nbnatlas.org. 2019-07-02.
  2. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Nephtyidae Grube, 1850. www.marinespecies.org. en. 2019-07-02.
  3. Jirkov. Igor A.. Dnestrovskaya. Nataliya Yu. Alalykina. Inna L.. 2017-11-07. Identification key to Nephtyidae (Annelida) of the Sea of Okhotsk. ZooKeys. en. 684. 1–18. 10.3897/zookeys.684.12180. 28769731. 1313-2970. 5523181. free.
  4. Web site: Nephtyidae. www.annelida.net. 2019-07-02.
  5. Web site: MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - A catworm (Nephtys hombergii). www.marlin.ac.uk. en-GB. 2019-07-02.

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