''Bylgides'' is a genus of marine

annelid The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to vario ...

s in the family

Polynoidae Polynoidae is a family (biology), family of marine Polychaete worms known as "scale worms" due to the scale-like elytron (Annelida), elytra on the dorsal surface. Almost 900 species are currently recognised belonging to 9 subfamilies and 167 gen ...

(scale worms). The genus contains nine species, all found in the Northern Hemisphere and from shallow inshore waters to depths of about 5000 m.

Description

Body short, 39 segments, 16 pairs of

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

. Anterior margin of

prostomium The prostomium (From Ancient Greek, meaning "before the mouth"; : prostomia; sometimes also called the "acron") is the Cephalization, cephalized first body segment in an annelid worm's body at the anterior end. It is in front of (but does not in ...

with a pair of acute anterior peaks. Lateral antennae inserted ventrally (beneath prostomium and median antenna). Palps, antennae, dorsal and ventral cirri with papillae. Notochaetae about as thick as neurochaetae. Unidentate and bidentate neurochaetae present. Species of ''Bylgides'' are short-bodied scale worms, with 34 to 39 segments and 14 or 15 pairs of

; the elytra have a marginal fringe of short papillae. The

is rounded and bilobed anteriorly, with a pair of cephalic peaks. The antennae are covered with slender papillae and are located ventral to the prostomium; the pair of lateral antennae are inserted ventral (directly beneath) the median antenna. The neuropodium is elongate, tapering. The

notochaetae A chaeta or cheta (; ) is a chitinous bristle or seta found on annelid worms, although the term is also frequently used to describe similar structures in other invertebrates such as arthropods. Polychaete annelids (''polychaeta'' literally mean ...

are distinctly thicker than the

neurochaetae A chaeta or cheta (; ) is a chitinous bristle or seta found on annelid worms, although the term is also frequently used to describe similar structures in other invertebrates such as arthropods. Polychaete annelids (''polychaeta'' literally mean ...

. All or most neurochaetae have long tapering capillary tips, bidentate neurochaetae are absent.

Species

A following species of ''Bylgides'' are known as of April 2025: *'' Bylgides acutisetis'' Loshamn, 1981 *'' Bylgides annenkovae'' Pettibone, 1993 *'' Bylgides belfastensis'' Pettibone, 1993 *'' Bylgides elegans'' (Théel, 1879) *'' Bylgides fuscus'' (Hartman & Fauchald, 1971) *'' Bylgides groenlandicus'' (Malmgren, 1867) *'' Bylgides macrolepidus'' (Moore, 1905) *'' Bylgides promamme'' (Malmgren, 1867) *'' Bylgides sarsi'' (Kinberg in Malmgren, 1866)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3919389 Phyllodocida Polychaete genera Taxa named by Ralph Vary Chamberlin