Acanthicolepis is a genus of marine annelids in the family Polynoidae (scale worms). The genus was described in 1990[1] and includes two short-bodied species with up to 50 segments and which occur in the Mediterranean Sea and North-east Atlantic Ocean.[2]

Acanthicolepis
Acanthicolepis asperrima
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Errantia
Order: Phyllodocida
Family: Polynoidae
Genus: Acanthicolepis
McIntosh, 1900
Type species
Polynoe asperrima
M. Sars, 1861

Description

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Body short, with up to 50 segments and 18 pairs of elytra on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26, 29, 32, 34, 35, and 38. The prostomium has a pair of anterior peaks and the lateral antennae are inserted terminoventrally. Parapodia with both dorsal (notopodial) and ventral (neuropodial) acicula penetrating epidermis. The notochaetae are stout, with numerous rows of spines; the neurochaetae are more slender and include both unidentate (lack a secondary tooth at the tips) and bidentate forms (see Barnich & Fiege, 2010 for detailed diagnosis).[3]

Species

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Two valid species of Acanthicolepis are recognised as of June 2020:[4]

References

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  1. ^ McIntosh, William Carmichael (1900). "A monograph of British Annelids. vol.1. pt.2. Polychaeta Amphinomidae to Sigalionidae". Ray Society of London. 1 (2): 215–442.
  2. ^ Barnich, R.; Fiege, D. (2010). "On the distinction of Harmothoe globifera (G.O. Sars, 1873) and some other easily confused polynoids in the NE Atlantic, with the description of a new species of Acanthicolepis Norman in McIntosh, 1900 (Polychaeta, Polynoidae)". Zootaxa. 2525: 1–18. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2525.1.1.
  3. ^ Barnich, R.; Gil, J.; Fiege, D. (2000). "Revision of the genus Acanthicolepis Norman in McIntosh, 1900 (Polychaeta, Polynoidae, Polynoinae)". Sarsia. 85 (4): 313–319. doi:10.1080/00364827.2000.10414582. S2CID 82247706.
  4. ^ Read, G.; Fauchald, K. "World Polychaeta database. Acanthicolepis McIntosh, 1900". World Register of Marine Species.