(Hilbig & Dittmer, 1979)
Description:
Body short and slender.
Prostomium quadrangular to pentagonal with 4 eyes with lenses, anterior pair larger. Prostomium with 3 antennae and 2 annulated palps, thicker of the same length as the lateral antennae and with 2 rings.
Lateral antennae threadlike, as long as or shorter than the prostomium. Median antenna very short and placed on the anterior edge of the prostomium.
8 pairs of annulated tentacular cirri.
Tentacular cirri placed on long cirrophores with aciculae, more or less clearly annulated. Dorsal cirri of first segment as long as segment width, on following segments half that size. Ventral cirri as long as parapodial lobes. Parapodia biramous, without dorsal chaetae. Tentacular and dorsal cirri annulated and with cirrophores, often including one acicula.
Notopodia smaller than neuropodia with conical prechaetal lobes and 2 aciculae.
Neuropodia broadly rounded also with conical prechaetal lobes and 2 aciculae. From 5th segment on, 3-4 branched dorsal chaetae, with fine teeth on the basis of the short branch. Ventral compound chaetae numerous (P. helgolandica-detail).
Pharynx with 10 filamentous terminal papillae, without jaws.
Size:
Body up to 13 mm for 43 segments (incomplete).
Colour:
In alcohol, pink to light brownish.
Distribution:
German Bight.