Phyllodoce maculata
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| Phyllodoce maculata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Subclass: | Errantia |
| Order: | Phyllodocida |
| Family: | Phyllodocidae |
| Genus: | Phyllodoce |
| Species: | P. maculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllodoce maculata | |
Phyllodoce maculata is a species of Polychaete worm in the family Phyllodocidae. It is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean where it inhabits shallow water areas of sand, mud and stones.
Phyllodoce maculata is on the right
Phyllodoce maculata is an elongated slender worm, tapering slightly towards the posterior.[2] The prostomium (head) bears a pair of antennae, a pair of eyes, two small palps and a large eversible proboscis. The first few body segments bear four pairs of long, tentacular cirri. Other body segments bear parapodia with flattened cirri, the dorsal ones being heart-shaped and conspicuous.[3] The prostomium, the first body segment (which cannot be seen from above) and the second segment are colourless, the third and fourth segments are dark, and the fifth and remaining segments have dark spots centred on the overlap of the segments, as well as some dark colour at the side of the segments. The posterior of the prostomium has some yellow colouring, and there are yellow spots between the dark spots on the dorsal surface of the body. This worm can have as many as 250 segments and be up to 100 mm (4 in) long.[2]