| Terebella plagiostoma Schmarda, 1861. Family Terebellidae | ||||
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Terebella plagiostoma [Click photo for picture page] 
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| Habitat: | Intertidal. Rocky shore. Soft shore. Bays and sheltered beaches. Various from muddy sand to shell banks Infaunal. Depth range: 0-3 (m). Salinity regime: Harbour-like variation. Microhabitat: Variously under stones, in empty shell, in rock crevices, in algal holdfasts. Tube: Fragile sand-grain tubes. | |||
| Occurrence: | Common. Density: 1000 (m2).
Distribution in NZ: New Zealand wide and Chatham Islands | |||
| Feeding guild: | Surface deposit-feeding/herbivore. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Genus Terebella in Family Terebellidae.
Terebella with each of (3) branchiae with a short main stalk, lateral branches spiralling along axis. Last branchia is at post margin of segment (distinctly post to parapodium). Notopodia from 4th segment (3rd branchiferous, 1st chaetigerous) continuing for 34 segments. Neuropodial from chaetiger 2, uncini in double rows from chaetiger 7. Large renal papilla on segment 2, directly in front of first parapodium (on next segment). Genital papillae on chaetigers 3-6. In life branchiae bright red, tentacles white, body pink with whitish ventral thorax. (Note: apparent colour may vary if gravid with eggs/sperm). Up to 95 segments. Colour: Maximum size: 40 mm total length, 3 mm body width. |
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| Notable aspect: | Single main axis for branchiae. | |||
| Comparisons: | See Pseudopista rostrata, also a smallish species with 3 branchial pairs, and Terebella sp B. (variant of T. plagiosoma) | |||
| Taxonomy: | Incorrectly transferred to Thelepus by Hutchings and others. | |||
| Distribution: | Endemic. New Zealand records only | |||
| Biology: | Appears to be an adaptable widely-occurring species in many habitats but little else is known. | |||
| Best References: | Biology: No recommendation. Taxonomy: Hutchings and Smith (1997) Descriptions of new species and comments on previously described species of terebellid polychaetes from New Zealand and Australia. Bulletin of Marine Science 60:324-349. | |||
| More information: |
Synonyms, NZ records | Original figures | Original description details | |
| Genus diagnosis | More pictures | Further references (biology, etc) | Family Terebellidae | |
| 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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