(Pallas, 1766) sensu Malmgren, 1866
Description:
Body big, strong, broadest anteriorly, tapering posteriorly; with 17 chaetigers.
Tentacular membrane folded, usually with 17-28 points of various lengths. Dorsal brim very wide, almost encompassing the circular anterior surface, without serrations. Anterior end with 8-15 paleae on both sides and with two pairs of tentacular cirri.
Two pairs of leaf-like gills present (P. belgica-anterior end).
Dorsal chaetae on 17, ventrally uncini on 13 segments. Spines at base of scaphe stout and nearly straight (P. belgica-detail).
Scaphe with folded margin anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. Anal tongue and pygidial cirrus very small.
Size:
Up to 70 mm long.
Tube:
Straight, conical masonry of sand grains, up to 90 mm long and 10 mm wide.
Colour:
In life pink with red gills. In alcohol yellowish and grey.
Habitat:
In many types of sediment: silt, mixed bottoms, sand; upper sublittoral to 500 m; euhaline to mesohaline.
Distribution:
European Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Pacific coast of the USA and Canada.
Southern North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, the Öresund and the Belts, Warnemünde, Norwegian coast to Helgoland.