''Uncopolynoe'' is a genus of marine

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 belonging to 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 ...

, the scaleworms. ''Uncopolynoe'' contains a single species, ''Uncopolynoe corallicola'' which is known from the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

at a depth of 1 m.Hartmann-Schröder, G. 1960. Polychaeten aus dem Roten Meer. Kieler Meeresforschungen, 16(1): 69-125., available online at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001489/148944mo.pdf

Description

''Uncopolynoe corallicola'' is a short-bodied scale worm with 40–45 segments and 12 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 ...

. The

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 ...

is weakly bilobed anteriorly and lacks cephalic peaks. The lateral antennae lack basal ceratophores and arise directly from the anterior margin of the prostomium. The median antenna has a ceratophore which is located between and slightly beneath the lateral antennae.

Notopodia In invertebrates, the term parapodium (Greek language, Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; : parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in Annelid, annelids, where they ar ...

are absent and

neuropodia In invertebrates, the term parapodium ( Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; : parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in annelids, where they are paired, unjointed late ...

are inconspicuous after segment 4.

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 absent, but there are three types of

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 ...

: stout curved hooks, curved club-shaped forms and bidentate chaetae.

Biology and Ecology

All known specimens of ''Uncopolynoe'' have been collected from

alcyonarian Octocorallia, along with Hexacorallia, is one of the two extant classes of Anthozoa. It comprises over 3,000 species of marine and brackish animals consisting of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry, commonly referred informally as "soft cora ...

corals and most likely have 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 f ...

relationship with them.Wehe, Thomas. (2006). Revision of the scale worms (Polychaeta:Aphroditoidea) occurring in the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Part I: Polynoidae. Fauna of Arabia. 22: 23–197.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q42782443 Phyllodocida Polychaete genera