Exogone naidina Örsted, 1845

Synonyms:
Exogone gemmifera (Pagenstecher, 1862)

Distinguishing characteristics
Antennae, tentacular and dorsal cirri reduced and globular.
One pairs of tentacular cirri.
Dorsal cirri very small and missing on the second parapodium.
Compound chaetae of two types, with long blades and short bidentate.

Species description
Body thin and fragile. Prostomium quadrangular with 4 eyes with lenses in a trapezoid arrangement. Palps rounded triangular, longer than the prostomium, extending as two long and broad lips. Median antenna club- or flask-shaped, not much longer than the lateral antennae. Lateral antennae shaped likewise, longer than the peristomium. One pair of tiny tentacular cirri. Dorsal cirri very small, much smaller than the parapodial lobes and missing on the second parapodium. Ventral cirri hardly visible. Compound chaetae of two types, with long blades and short bidentate. Upper simple chaetae present on all parapodia. Posterior parapodia with an additional lower simple bidentate chaetae.

Size
Body up to 5 mm long for 36 segments.

Color
Yellowish.

Habitat
Occurs from the eulittoral, sublittoral to mid-bathyal.

Mobility
Mobile.

Feeding
Deposit feeder.

Life cycle

Distribution
Probably cosmopolitan, English Channel and North Sea.