(O.F. Müller, 1776)
Description:
Prostomium bilobed, with two eyes. Five antennae, more or less distinctly annulated. Peristomium two to three times longer than following segments. Cirri of apodous segment indistinctly ringed, extending forward beyond the anterior margin of the peristomium.
Gills begin on chaetiger 3, more rarely on chaetigers 4-7. No gills after chaetigers 30-59. Gills are comb-shaped, with 8-22 filaments where best developed. Dorsal cirri shorter than gills, except in the anterior parapodia (E. pennata-parapodium). Chaetae of four kinds: 1) winged capillary chaetae; 2) comb-chaetae; 3) compound chaetae with bidentate hooded blades; 4) one or two stout simple bidentate hooded hooks, which start on about chaetiger 40. Aciculae and hooks yellow or light amber. Two long and two very short pygidial cirri.
Mandibles broadly X-shaped, with calcified, minutely scalloped anterior margins. Maxillae I: hooked forceps; maxillae II: 6-10 teeth each; maxillae III: 8-12 teeth; maxillae IV: 3-8 and 8-11 teeth; maxillae V: unidentate (E. pennata-jaw apparatus).
Size:
Up to 150 mm for numerous segments.
Tube:
Cylindrical, thin, parchment-like and irregularly covered with foreign material such as pebbles, shell fragments, or foraminiferans; attached to stones or shells of molluscs.
Colour:
Uniformly yellowish brown.
Habitat:
On various combinations of sand, mud, clay, gravel, pebbles, broken shells, and coral as well as in Laminaria -holdfasts from the intertidal zone to a depth of about 3500 m.
Distribution:
Arctic, Atlantic to Mediterranean, northern parts of the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and Öresund; Antarctic.