''Australaugeneria'' is a genus of marine
annelids in the family
Polynoidae
Polynoidae is a family of marine Polychaete worms known as "scale worms" due to the scale-like elytra on the dorsal surface. Almost 900 species are currently recognised belonging to 9 subfamilies and 167 genera. They are active hunters, but gene ...
(scale worms). The genus includes 4 species which are
commensal on
octocorals.
Description
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 alterna ...
15 pairs, 36–40 segments. Lateral antennae inserted ventrally (beneath
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) t ...
and median antenna).
Neuropodia deeply incised vertically, so that the
neurochaetae
A chaeta or cheta (from Greek χαίτη “crest, mane, flowing hair"; plural: chaetae) is a chitinous bristle or seta found in annelid worms, (although the term is also frequently used to describe similar structures in other invertebrates such ...
emerge from a prominent division between the pre-chaetal (=
acicular) lobe and the post-chaetal lobe.
Notochaetae
A chaeta or cheta (from Greek χαίτη “crest, mane, flowing hair"; plural: chaetae) is a chitinous bristle or seta found in annelid worms, (although the term is also frequently used to describe similar structures in other invertebrates such ...
present, hooked neurochaetae in anterior-most segments, bidentate neurochaetae absent (summarised from detailed diagnosis of Ravara & Cunha, 2016).
[Ravara, Ascensão; Cunha, Marina R. (2016). Two new species of scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) from deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic). Zootaxa. 4097(3): 442–450]
Ecology
All known species of ''Australaugeneria'' appear to be commensals on
alcyonacean or gorgonian corals.
[
]
Species
Four species of ''Australaugeneria'' are accepted as valid as of June 2020:
*''
Australaugeneria iberica'' Ravara & Cunha, 2016
*''
Australaugeneria michaelseni'' Pettibone, 1969
*''
Australaugeneria pottsi'' Pettibone, 1969
*''
Australaugeneria rutilans'' (Grube, 1878)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3921403
Phyllodocida
Polychaete genera