Overview
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Eunicidae is a of polychaetes. Many eunicids reach a considerable size.
One of the most conspicuous of the eunicids is the giant, dark purple, iridescent "Bobbit worm" (Eunice aphroditois), found at low tide under boulders on southern Australian shores. Its robust, muscular body can be as long as 2 metres. 1]
Some species of eunicids prey on coral. Individuals have been found living unnoticed in reef aquaria for long enough to grow to great size [2][3].
Taxonomy
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The Family Eunicidae is a member of the Superfamily Eunicoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Eunicidae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Lophotrochozoa
- Lophotrochozoans
- Superphylum: Eutrochozoa
- Phylum: Annelida
Lamarck, 1809 - Segmented Worms
- Class: Polychaeta
Grube, 1850 - Polychaetes
- Order: Eunicida
- Superfamily: Eunicoidea
- Family: Eunicidae Savigny, 1818
- Superfamily: Eunicoidea
- Order: Eunicida
- Class: Polychaeta
Grube, 1850 - Polychaetes
- Phylum: Annelida
Lamarck, 1809 - Segmented Worms
- Superphylum: Eutrochozoa
- Infrakingdom: Lophotrochozoa
- Lophotrochozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Family Eunicidae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Genus (8): Eunice · Euniphysa · Leodice · Lysidice · Marphysa · Nematonereis · Palola · Paramarphysa
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 141 species and subspecies in the Family Eunicidae.
Genera
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Eunice
Euniphysa
Leodice
Lysidice
A genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Marphysa
Nematonereis
Palola
Paramarphysa
More info about the Genus Paramarphysa may be found here.
References
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- ^ Keith Davey (2000). "Eunice aphroditois". Life on Australian Seashores. http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/e_aphroditois.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
- ^ Weast, Steve, The Great Worm Incident, Oregon, USA, http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm, retrieved on 2009-03-27
- ^ Giant Sea Worm Unmasked as Coral Killer, Newquay, UK, 2009-03-17, http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/news-from-newquay/coral-worm.htm, retrieved on 2009-03-27
Sources
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- The distribution map on the Distribution tab comes from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and is used with permission.
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