''Leucia violacea'' is a
species of
polychaete worm, commonly known as a "scale worm", in the family
Polynoidae. This species occurs in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean.
Description
The body has 42 segments which are concealed by sixteen pairs of
elytra in two rows. The length of this worm is about and the width . The
prostomium has two lobes with a pair of acute anterior projections, a median antenna and a pair of lateral antennae inserted ventrally (beneath prostomium and median antenna), a pair of smooth palps and two pairs of eyes. The body is red to brown above and white beneath, and the scales are pink to violet.
[ It can be distinguished from '' Leucia nivea '', the only other member of the genus, by the microtubercles on the scales being all conical while the macrotubercles are scattered and indistinct. Notochaetae distinctly thicker than neurochaetae. Unidentate and bidentate neurochaetae are present.][Fiege, Dieter; Barnich, Ruth. (2009). Polynoidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) associated with cold-water coral reefs of the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Zoosymposia. 2 : 149–164]
Taxonomy
This species was first described by the Norwegian zoologist Vilhelm Storm
Vilhelm Storm (28 September 1835 – 19 May 1913) was a Norwegian zoologist.
He was born in Arendal to priest Frederik Elias Storm and Emilie Fredrikke Cathrine Rønne. He was a brother of Martin Luther Storm and Thora Storm, and a cousin ...
in 1879 as ''Laenilla violacea'' but was later transferred to the genus ''Harmothoe
''Harmothoe'' is a genus of marine Polychaete worms belonging to the family ''Polynoidae'' (scale worms). Species of ''Harmothoe'' are found world-wide to depths of at least 5,000 m but are more common in shallower water.
Description
Bod ...
''. During a revision of this genus in 2009, ''H. violacea'' was reassigned to ''Leucia violacea'' on the basis that members of ''Harmothoe'' have fifteen pairs of scales while members of ''Leucia'' have sixteen.[
]
Distribution and habitat
This species occurs in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, its range extending from Norway to the Bay of Biscay at depths between . It is found on hard substrates, often associated with cold water corals such as ''Lophelia pertusa
''Lophelia pertusa'', the only species in the genus ''Lophelia'', is a cold-water coral that grows in the deep waters throughout the North Atlantic ocean, as well as parts of the Caribbean Sea and Alboran Sea. Although ''L. pertusa'' reefs are ...
'' and ''Madrepora oculata
''Madrepora oculata'', also called zigzag coral, is a Scleractinia, stony coral that is found worldwide outside of the polar regions, growing in deep water coral, deep water at depths of 80–1500 meters. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus i ...
''.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4387584
Phyllodocida
Animals described in 1879
Fauna of the Atlantic Ocean