Eulagisca gigantea
Eulagisca gigantea, a giant polynoid worm also known as an Antarctic scale worm, is a species of marine polychaete worm belonging to the family Polynoidae, the scale worms. This species is found on the seabed in the Southern Ocean.[1]
| Eulagisca gigantea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Polychaeta |
| Order: | Phyllodocida |
| Family: | Polynoidae |
| Genus: | Eulagisca |
| Species: | E. gigantea |
| Binomial name | |
| Eulagisca gigantea Monro, 1939[1] | |
Description
Eulagisca gigantea can grow to a length of 20 cm (8 in) and a width of 10 cm (4 in). It is dorso-ventrally flattened and has 40 segments. The prostomium is oval and the back part is concealed by a nuchal fold.[2] The eversible proboscis bears a pair of large jaws and is about a quarter of the length of the whole organism. The upper surface of the body is concealed by the large paired elytra and each segment bears a pair of paddle-like parapodia at the side which are used for swimming. E. gigantea is a greyish-brown colour.[3]
Biology
Polynoids are generally considered to be carnivores,[2] and judging by the size of the jaws, this one is a predator, but its diet is unknown, and very little is known about its biology.[3]
References
- Fauchald, Kristian (2008). "Eulagisca gigantea Monro, 1939". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- Australian Biological Resources Study (2000). Polychaetes & Allies: The Southern Synthesis. Csiro Publishing. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-643-06571-0.
- Mah, Christopher (22 May 2012). "Eulagisca gigantea- GIANT polynoid worm!". 10 of the WEIRDEST Antarctic Invertebrates!. EchinoBlog. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
Further reading
- Pettibone, M. H. (1997). "Revision of the scaleworm genus Eulagisca Mcintosh (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) with the erection of the subfamily Eulagiscinae and the new genus Pareulagisca". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 110 (4): 537–555.