Scolelepis cantabra

(Rioja, 1919)

Description:
Body broad and fragile.
Prostomium pointed at both ends, with four eyes, in a trapezoid arrangement. Caruncle reaching chaetiger 2.
Notopodial postchaetal lobes on segment 1 small and rounded, in the following segments larger and folded, completely fused to the gills and in posterior segments separate again and leaf-like. Neuropodial postchaetal lobes in anterior segments big, larger than the notopodial ones, in posterior segments becoming smaller.
Anterior parapodia with capillary chaetae only, absent in the first notopodium, very long in the posterior notopodia. No notopodial hooks. From neuropodium 20-45 onwards also hooded hooks present. Posterior neuropodia with hooks only. Hooded hooks with one accessory tooth.
Gills start at segment 2, large, cirriform, fused completely with the dorsal postchaetal lobes. From segment 30-45, gills free, and disappearing around segment 100.
Pygidium multilobate.

Size:
Up to 100 mm for more than 200 segments.

Colour:
Anteriorly pink, posteriorly dark green. Gills red, palps yellow.

Habitat:
From 10 to 50 m.

Distribution:
North Sea, Skagerrak, Scotland, Ireland, English Channel to Mediterranean.

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