(Krohn, 1852)
Description:
Body short, relatively broad.
Prostomium rounded quadrangular to semicircular with four eyes in a trapezoid arrangement and two ocelli. Palps broad, somewhat shorter than the prostomium. Median antenna much longer than lateral antennae and at least three times longer than prostomium. Lateral antennae longer than palps.
Dorsal and tentacular cirri smooth or with unclear annulations. Dorsal tentacular cirri as long as median antenna, ventral shorter. Dorsal cirri as tentacular cirri without annulation. Ventral cirri a long as parapodial lobes. The single acicula is not distally broadened but with a distal notch. Blades of compound chaetae moderately long, unidentate or indistinctly bidentate. Additional simple chaetae present in posterior parapodia (P. pulligera-detail).
Pharynx and proventriculus short.
Size:
Body up to 10 mm long for 56 segments.
Colour:
Whitish, with yellow cross-lines on anterior body or a median lateral line of purple spots.
Distribution:
North Atlantic to Mediterranean, English Channel up to Straight of Dover.