WoRMS taxon details
Pygospio muscularis Ward, 1981
331459 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:331459)
accepted
Species
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
Ward, L.A. (1981). Spionidae (Polychaeta: Annelida) from Hawaii, with descriptions of five new species. <em>Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.</em> 94(3): 713-730., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34607224
page(s): 724-726, fig. 7, table 1 [details]
page(s): 724-726, fig. 7, table 1 [details]
Holotype USNM R647, geounit Oahu Island
, Note Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Oahu Island, Kahana...
Holotype USNM R647, geounit Oahu Island [details]
From editor or global species database
Type locality Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Oahu Island, Kahana Bay, 15 m from shore (21º33'36''N, 157º52'33''W), 1 m, shifting sand [details]
Depth range 0.5-1 m.
Distribution Pacific Ocean, Hawaii: Oahu Island.
Etymology The specific epithet muscularis is a Latin adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to muscles', and refers to the heavy,...
Depth range 0.5-1 m. [details]
Distribution Pacific Ocean, Hawaii: Oahu Island.
Distribution Pacific Ocean, Hawaii: Oahu Island. [details]
Etymology The specific epithet muscularis is a Latin adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to muscles', and refers to the heavy,...
Etymology The specific epithet muscularis is a Latin adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to muscles', and refers to the heavy, muscularized eighth chaetiger. [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2026). World Polychaeta Database. Pygospio muscularis Ward, 1981. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=331459 on 2026-09-16
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Nomenclature
original description
Ward, L.A. (1981). Spionidae (Polychaeta: Annelida) from Hawaii, with descriptions of five new species. <em>Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.</em> 94(3): 713-730., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34607224
page(s): 724-726, fig. 7, table 1 [details]
page(s): 724-726, fig. 7, table 1 [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype USNM R647, geounit Oahu Island [details]
Paratype BPBM R648, geounit Oahu Island [details]
Paratype USNM 64348, geounit Oahu Island [details]
From editor or global species database
Depth range 0.5-1 m. [details]Diet The species is surface-deposit feeder, picking up sand grains and detritus from the surrounding area with their tentacular palps, but it can also pick up particles from the water column with the tentacular palps. The grinding action of the gizzard-like structure, visible through the thin body wall, probably serves to abrade the bacterial/algal film covering the sand grains, which is then digested (Ward, 1981: 72). [details]
Distribution Pacific Ocean, Hawaii: Oahu Island. [details]
Etymology The specific epithet muscularis is a Latin adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to muscles', and refers to the heavy, muscularized eighth chaetiger. [details]
Habitat Shifting sand, sand with coral rubble, and coral rock, at shallow water. [details]
Type locality Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Oahu Island, Kahana Bay, 15 m from shore (21º33'36''N, 157º52'33''W), 1 m, shifting sand [details]
