(Oersted, 1843)
Description:
Body broad anteriorly, narrowing posteriorly.
Prostomium anteriorly incised, without antenna, posteriorly with a caruncle reaching chaetiger 2-5. Two long palps present. 0-4 eyes.
First notopodium with chaetae.
Notopodial postchaetal lobes in anterior segments triangular, in posterior segments short, cylindrical. Neuropodial postchaetal lobes high but short.
Fifth chaetiger with a few lanceolate chaetae anteriorly, 6-16 modified chaetae in a row and capillary chaetae ventrally. Modified chaetae thick and blunt with bent tips and subdistal cavities with a membrane. 7th and following neuropodia with 3-7 strongly bent hooded hooks. Neuropodial capillaries also present but disappearing towards the body end. 45th and following notopodia with capillaries and a few needle-like chaetae, that are about as thick, but shorter than the capillaries (P. caeca-chaetae).
Gills start at segment 8 or 9, disappearing in mid-body or posterior segments.
Pygidium with a dorsally incised funnel. Ventral and lateral incisions often also present.
Size:
Up to 60 mm for 130 segments.
Colour:
Yellowish.
Habitat:
In lithothamnia and kelp holdfasts.
Distribution:
North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, Öresund, Arctic, North Pacific, Atlantic to South Africa, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean.