Grube, 1848
Description:
Small (2-60 mm) pelagic polychaetes, flattened and delicate, transparent in life. Prostomium with prominent laterally directed antennae, a pair of nuchal organs and, normally, a pair of eyes. First pair of parapodial appendages often lost in the adult. Second segment with long cirrus-like appendages which are supported by an acicula.
Parapodia biramous, without chaetae or aciculae. Noto- and neuropodia oar-shaped. Dorsal and ventral cirri absent. Body in some species with a posterior tail region with rudimentary parapodia.
Pharynx is eversible, unarmed.
Pygidium without cirri (Tomopteridae).
Tomopterids are carnivores preying upon other zooplankton and may be found both near surface and at considerable depths in ocean waters. They swim vigorously by rapid beating of the parapodia and may undergo diurnal vertical migrations, rising to the surface at night.
After: Pleijel and Dales, 1991 and Hayward and Ryland, 1990.
For identification to species level, jump to the Picture key: Page 291: Tomopteridae
The following taxa of this family occur in the region:
Genus Tomopteris
Tomopteris helgolandica
Tomopteris septentrionalis