''Subadyte albanyensis'' is a
scale worm known from the shores of southern
Australia from the
intertidal
The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...
to a depth of about 15 m.
[Hanley, J. Russell and Burke, Melanie. (1990). Scaleworms (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) of Albany, Western Australia. 203-236. IN: Wells, F. E., Walker, D. I., Kirkman, H., and Lethbridge, R. (Ed.). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Albany, Western Australia. Proceedings of the Third International Marine Biological Workshop: Perth, Western Australian Museum.]
Description
''Subadyte albanyensis'' is a short-bodied worm with about 37 segments and 15 pairs of
elytra
An elytron (; ; , ) 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 (sometimes altern ...
that bear a marginal fringe of papillae, and patches of greenish brown pigment around bases of elytrhophores and
cirrophores with pigmentation extending over dorsum from segment 4. Ventrum with two small patches of greenish brown pigment on either side of midline starting at segment 6. Lateral antennae positioned ventrally on
prostomium
The prostomium (From Ancient Greek, meaning "before the mouth"; plural: prostomia; sometimes also called the "acron") is the cephalized first body segment in an annelid worm's body at the anterior end. It is in front of (but does not include) th ...
, directly beneath median antenna ceratophore. The
notochaetae are about as thick as
neurochaetae, which also possess bidentate tips.
Biology
''Subadyte albanyensis'' is a
commensal
Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction ( symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit fr ...
species, which is associated with
seagrass
Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families ( Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the ...
and
sponges
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2441370
Phyllodocida