''Disconatis'' is a genus of marine
annelids in the family
Polynoidae (scale worms). The genus includes two species which are both
commensal with other kinds of marine
Annelida and occur in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand.
[Source reference(s) for description: Hanley, J. Russell and Burke, Melanie 1988. A new genus and species of commensal scaleworm (Polychaeta: Polynoidae). The Beagle, Records of the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences, 5(1): 5–15.]
Species
As at September 2020, there are two species within ''Disconatis'':
*''
Disconatis accolus''
*''
Disconatis contubernalis''
Description
''Disconatis'' is a long-bodied genus with up to 152 segments and 22–80 pairs of
elytra which are small and translucent; the first pair are much larger than the following elytra. The lateral antennae are inserted ventral to the median antenna. The
notopodium
In invertebrates, the term parapodium ( Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; plural: parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in annelids, where they are paired, unjointed ...
is vestigial and
notochaetae are absent. The
neuropodium is rounded and the
neurochaetae are uinidentate but have serrations on the convex side.
Biology and ecology
Both known species of ''Disconatis'' are
commensal, with each species living in the tubes of marine annelids in a different family:
Arenicolidae
Arenicolidae is a family of marine polychaete worms. They are commonly known as lugworms and the little coils of sand they produce are commonly seen on the beach. Arenicolids are found worldwide, mostly living in burrows in sandy substrates. Most ...
and
Maldanidae
Maldanidae is a family of more than 200 species of Marine life, marine polychaetes commonly known as bamboo worms or maldanid worms. They belong to the order Capitellida, in the phylum Annelida. They are most closely related to family Arenicolidae ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3916521
Phyllodocida
Polychaete genera