Axionice maculata (Dalyell, 1853)

Synonyms:
Terebella maculata Dalyell, 1853
Scione lobata Malmgren, 1866
Melinella macduffi McIntosh, 1914
Axionice maculata Harris, 1971

Distinguishing characteristics
One pair arborescent branchiae (thick stems with crowns).
Uncini from the 2nd chaetigerous segment.
Notochaetae on 16 segments.

Species description
Upper lip low, very narrow. Eyespots present. One pair of arborescent branchiae on segment 2. Branchiae with very thick stems and more or less developed crowns. 16 thoracic segments with capillary chaetae (from segment 4). Uncinigerous tori from segment 5. Uncini in double rows on segments 11-19. Pygidium with a wreath of 6-12 stout papillae. Tube – irregularly curved, thin secretion layer incrusted with fine and coarse sand and fragments of plants and animal shells.

Size
Up to 150 mm long.

Color
Alive yellowish to reddish, with brown spots or bands on dorsum, tentacles spotted, branchiae red.

Habitat
On sand, often with shells, or among algae. Upper sublittoral to about 1000 m.

Mobility

Feeding
Deposit feeder.

Life cycle

Distribution
Arctic-Atlantic-Pacific species, Eastern North Atlantic to the Cameroons, Mediterranean, Labrador, West Greenland, Canadian and Alaskan Arctic, White Sea, Siberian Arctic, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk; East Greenland, Svalbard, Barents Sea, Iceland, Norwegian Sea, Norwegian coast from Hordaland to Finnmark, Danish west coast, Norfolk..