The Onuphidae are a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of
polychaete
Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine Annelid, annelid worms, common name, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called c ...
worms.
Characteristics
Most onuphids have tubes. Some live semisubmerged in the substrate, but others carry their tubes around, and they can all rebuild their tubes if necessary. The tubes, thin and parchment-like, are formed of bits of shell and sand, with plant debris, stuck together with
mucus
Mucus (, ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both Serous fluid, serous and muc ...
. The onuphids are all omnivorous
scavenger
Scavengers are animals that consume Corpse decomposition, dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a he ...
s, feeding on animal and vegetable debris.
[Onuphidae]
Marine Errant Polychaetes in Hong Kong. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
A Guide To Singapore Polychaetes. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
The prostomium has two short frontal antennae, two globular palps and five main antennae. The mandibles are large and the maxillae have several pairs of plates edged with fine teeth. Some tentacular cirri are present. The anterior parapodium points forward and has tapered ventral cirri. The posterior parapodium has cushion-like cirri. The setae include winged capillaries and pseudocompound forms on the anterior parapodia and winged capillaries, comb-setae and acicular setae on the posterior ones.[
]
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species includes these genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
in the family:[
*'' Americonuphis'' Fauchald, 1973
*'' Anchinothria'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Aponuphis'' Kucheruk, 1978
*'' Australonuphis'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Brevibrachium'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Diopatra'' Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833
*'' Dualgenys'' †
*'' Epidiopatra'' Augener, 1918
*'' Fauchaldonuphis'' Paxton, 2005
*'' Hartmanonuphis'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Heptaceras'' Ehlers, 1868
*'' Hirsutonuphis'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Hyalinoecia'' Malmgren, 1867
*'' Hyalospinifera'' Kucheruk, 1979
*'' Kinbergonuphis'' Fauchald, 1982
*'' Leptoecia'' Chamberlin, 1919
*'' Longibrachium'' Paxton, 1986
*'' Mooreonuphis'' Fauchald, 1982
*'' Neonuphis''
*'' Nothria'' Malmgren, 1866
*'' Notonuphis'' Kucheruk, 1978
*'' Onuphis'' Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833
*'' Paradiopatra'' Ehlers, 1887
*'' Parahyalinoecia''
*'' Paranorthia''
*'' Paraonuphis''
*'' Parhyalinoecia''
*'' Paronuphis'' Ehlers, 1887
*'' Paxtonia'' Budaeva & Fauchald, 2011
*'' Protodiopatra'' Budaeva & Fauchald, 2011
*'' Rhamphobrachium'' Ehlers, 1887
]
References
{{Authority control
Polychaetes
Annelid families