''Eucranta'' 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 includes 5 species which are globally distributed from depths of about 40 to 600 m, mostly from high latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres.

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. ''Eucranta'' are short-bodied scale worms with 36 to 40 segments and 15 pairs of

. The

is bilobed anteriorly and a pair of cephalic peaks is present. The lateral antennae are located ventrally, directly beneath the median antenna ceratophore. The neuropodial lobes are elongate. 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 ...

; both are ornamented with transverse rows of small spines. The neurochaetae may be unidentate or bidentate and distinctive furcate neurochae are present.Barnich R, Orensanz JM, Fiege D (2012) Remarks on some scale worms (Polychaeta, Polynoidae) from the Southwest Atlantic with notes on the genus Eucranta Malmgren, 1866, and description of a new Harmothoe species. Marine Biodiversity 42: 395–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-012-0117-4

Species

The following species of ''Eucranta'' are recognised as of September 2020: *'' Eucranta anoculata'' (Moore, 1910) *'' Eucranta innatans'' (Chamberlin, 1919) *'' Eucranta mollis'' (McIntosh, 1876) *'' Eucranta notialis'' Monro, 1936 *'' Eucranta villosa'' Malmgren, 1865

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3921870 Phyllodocida Polychaete genera