Polydora hoplura

Claparède, 1870

Description:
Prostomium anteriorly more or less incised, with an often indistinct median antenna, with or without four eyes, posteriorly with a caruncle reaching segment 3.
First notopodium without chaetae.
Notopodial postchaetal lobes very small. Neuropodial postchaetal lobes short and rounded, posteriorly rudimentary.
Fifth chaetiger with broadly lanceolate chaetae and thick modified chaetae in a row. Modified chaetae with a subdistal tooth or wing. 7th and following neuropodia with 8-10 strongly bent hooded hooks. Posterior 10-20 notopodia with big, strongly bent hooks.
Gills start at chaetiger 7, absent on the last 10-20 segments.
Pygidium with dorsally, often also ventrally incised funnel.

Size:
Up to 60 mm for 200 segments.

Colour:
Yellowish or reddish, often with dark pigment.

Habitat:
Amongst oysters and serpulids.

Distribution:
Southern North Sea, English Channel, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Australia, New Zealand.

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