Alitta succinea
Encyclopedia
Alitta succinea is a species of marine annelid
in the Nereididae
family (commonly known as ragworms or sandworms). It has been recorded throughout Europe and the North West Atlantic, as well as in the Gulf of Maine
and South Africa
.
s, and many tentacles The Anterior region is called as Head which consists of two segments as anterior Prostomium and posterior peristomium and the last segment known as pygidium.
, which has two hooks at the end, to grasp prey and draw it into its mouth. Clamworms are an important food source for bottom-feeding fish and crustacean
s, though they can protect themselves by secreting a mucus
substance that hardens to form a sheath around them.
During lunar phase
s in the spring and early summer, the clam worm undergoes "heterogenesis". Their parapodia
enlarge so they can swim. The clamworms are then capable of releasing eggs and sperm. Soon after they have released their egg or sperm, they die.
Plankton
ic larva
e develop, grow into adults and eventually sink to the bottom of the water.
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
in the Nereididae
Nereididae
Nereididae are a family of polychaete worms. It contains about 500 – mostly marine – species grouped into 42 genera. They may be commonly called ragworms or clam worms.-Characteristics:...
family (commonly known as ragworms or sandworms). It has been recorded throughout Europe and the North West Atlantic, as well as in the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Description
The common clam worm can reach up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length, but most specimens are smaller than this. It is brown coloured at the rear, and reddish-brown on the rest of its body. It has an identifiable head with four eyes, two sensory feelers or palpPedipalp
Pedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s, and many tentacles The Anterior region is called as Head which consists of two segments as anterior Prostomium and posterior peristomium and the last segment known as pygidium.
Life cycle
It is a freeswimming polychaete, scavenging on the bottom of shallow marine waters. It feeds on other worms and algae. To feed, it uses a proboscisProboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
, which has two hooks at the end, to grasp prey and draw it into its mouth. Clamworms are an important food source for bottom-feeding fish and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, though they can protect themselves by secreting a mucus
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
substance that hardens to form a sheath around them.
During lunar phase
Lunar phase
A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...
s in the spring and early summer, the clam worm undergoes "heterogenesis". Their parapodia
Parapodium
Parapodia , singular parapodium, are paired, un-jointed lateral outgrowths from the bodies of two different invertebrate groups, which are primarily marine in habitat...
enlarge so they can swim. The clamworms are then capable of releasing eggs and sperm. Soon after they have released their egg or sperm, they die.
Plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e develop, grow into adults and eventually sink to the bottom of the water.
Synonyms
- Neanthes perrieri Saint-Joseph, 1898 (subjective synonym)
- Neanthes succinea (Frey & Leuckart, 1847)
- Nereis australis Treadwell, 1923 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis saltoni Hartman, 1936 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis succinea (Frey & Leuckart, 1847)
- Nereis acutifolia Ehlers, 1901 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis belawanensis Pflugfelder, 1933 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis glandulosa Ehlers, 1908 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis limbata Ehlers, 1868 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis reibischi Heinen, 1911 (subjective synonym)
- Nereis succinea Frey & Leuckart, 1847 (Comb. nov.)