Harmothoe

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For greek myth figure, see Harmothoe (mythology).

Harmothoe
Harmothoe sp.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Errantia
Order: Phyllodocida
Family: Polynoidae
Genus: Harmothoe
Kinberg, 1856
Type species
Harmothoe spinosa
Kinberg, 1856

Harmothoe is a genus of marine Polychaete worms belonging to the family Polynoidae (scale worms). Species of Harmothoe are found world-wide to depths of at least 5,000 m but are more common in shallower water.[1]

Description[edit]

Body dorsoventrally flattened, short, with 15 pairs of elytra and up to 50 segments; the body is more or less covered by elytra, although long specimens may have a short posterior region uncovered. The prostomium is rounded anteriorly and has distinct cephalic peaks on the dorsal surface. There are three antennae, a pair of lateral antennae inserted ventrally, directly beneath the median antenna ceratophore. The neuropodia are elongate and tapering. The notoochaetae are stout with transverse rows of spines and blunt tips. The neurochaetae also have transverse rows of spines and both unindentate and bidentate neurochaetae are present.[2]

Biology[edit]

Harmothoe is one of many genera in the family Polynoidae that contain bioluminescent species.[3]

Taxonomic comments[edit]

In many parts of the world, identification of species in this diverse genus is problematic, however recently published revisions provide a guides to species of Harmothoe from the Mediterranean,[2] Northeast Atlantic[4] and from the Subantarctic and Antarctic.[5]

Species[edit]

The genus Harmothoe includes 152 species as of June 2020[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Read, Geoffrey B.; Fauchald, Kristian (2020). "The World Polychaeta Database".
  2. ^ a b Barnich R, Fiege D (2000) Revision of the Mediterranean species of Harmothoe Kinberg, 1856 and Lagisca Malmgren, 1865 Polychaeta: Polynoidae: Polynoinae) with descriptions of a new genus and a new species. Journal of Natural History 34: 1889–1938. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930050144783
  3. ^ Herring, Peter J. (1987). "Systematic distribution of bioluminescence in living organisms". Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence. 1 (3): 147–163. doi:10.1002/bio.1170010303. PMID 3503524.
  4. ^ Barnich R, Fiege D (2000) Barnich R, Fiege D (2009) Revision of the genus Harmothoe Kinberg, 1856 (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) in the Northeast Atlantic. Zootaxa 2104: 1–76. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2104.1.1
  5. ^ Barnich R, Fiege D, Micaletto G, Gambi MC (2006) Redescription of Harmothoe spinosa Kinberg, 1856 (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) and related species from Subantarctic and Antarctic waters, with the erection of a new genus. Journal of Natural History 40: 33–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930500445044


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