| Microspio maori Blake, 1984. Family Spionidae | ||||
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Microspio maori group of preserved specimens [Click photo for picture page] 
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| Habitat: | Intertidal. Soft shore. Enclosed harbours only. well-sorted fine to very fine sands Infaunal. Depth range: 0-1 (m). Salinity regime: Estuary-like variation. Microhabitat: Present near sediment surface from high water neap to low water spring, showing little zonation. Tube: No tube. Vertical burrow. | |||
| Occurrence: | Abundant. Density: 4000 (m2).
Distribution in NZ: Distributed throughout both main islands with records from Rangaunu in the North to at least Moeraki in the South. | |||
| Feeding guild: | Surface and subsurface deposit-feeding/herbivore. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Genus Microspio in Family Spionidae.
Prostomium pointed, with two eyespot pairs, without occipital tentacle. Branchiae from chaetiger 2, present to near end of body, attached basally to triangular notopodial lamellae, much shorter than branchiae. Notochaetae are capillaries only, neurochaetae capillaries to chaetiger 16, also with bifd hooded hooks from chaetiger 17 (rarely 16). Sabre chaetae absent. Pygidium with four ventral anal cirri, the ventralmost pair largest. Colour: Pale, without surface pigmentation, without palp pigment spots. Maximum size: 18 mm total length, 0.5 mm body width, for 75 chaetigers. |
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| Notable aspect: | Microspio species are rather nondescript, generalist spionids. Four anal cirri. Palps very often lost when preserved. | |||
| Comparisons: | Microspio elegantula is a second harbour species but is rare. It is yellow-green, with some prostomial brown pigment, and brown pigment on the palps, and has branchiae that are more glandular. | |||
| Taxonomy: | A quite similar Microspio which occurs on exposed coasts is probably a different species. | |||
| Distribution: | Endemic. Not reported outside New Zealand. | |||
| Biology: | Microspio maori is a small but common polychaete, believed to have a short life cycle in which reproduction and recruitment probably occurs year-round. It may reach very high densities on some sand flats. This species may have been reported misidentified as a Scolelepis in some ecological studies and environmental reports (e.g., Botherway, K.J.; Gardner, J.P.A. (2002). New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36(2): 241-255.) | |||
| Best References: | Biology: Read (1984) Persistence of infaunal polychaete zonation patterns on a sheltered, intertidal sand flat. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 18:399-416 Taxonomy: Blake (1984) Four new species of Spionidae (Polychaeta) from New Zealand, with comments on a syntype of Spio aequalis Ehlers from Chatham Island. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97:148-159. | |||
| More information: |
Synonyms, NZ records | Original figures | Original description details | |
| Genus diagnosis | More pictures | Further references (biology, etc) | Family Spionidae | |
| Internet sources: |
GOOGLE Search | AlltheWeb Search | CISTI | CBIF BiOSC Gateway | GOBASE Molecular | GenBank | Genus only in GenBank | | |||
| Genus only in Ubio Taxonomic Name Server | PubMed | Scirus | Zoological Record | | ||||
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