Eunicidae

Eunicidae
Temporal range: Ordovician–recent
Eunice aphroditois
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Annelida
Class:Polychaeta
Order:Eunicida
Family:Eunicidae
Genera

Eunicidae is a family of polychaetes. Many eunicids reach a considerable size. Their jaws are known from Ordovician sediments.[1] They live throughout the seas; a few species are parasitic.[1]

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 m.[2]

Some species of eunicids prey on coral. Individuals have been found living unnoticed in reef aquaria for long enough to grow to great size.[3][4]

They have an evertible proboscis.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fauchald, K. (1992). "A review of the genus Eunice (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) based upon type material" (PDF). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 523 (523): 1–422. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.523.
  2. ↑ Keith Davey (2000). "Eunice aphroditois". Life on Australian Seashores. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  3. ↑ Weast, Steve. "The Great Worm Incident". Oregon, USA. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  4. ↑ "Giant Sea Worm Unmasked as Coral Killer". Web.archive.org. 2012-11-21. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved 2015-06-07.


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