WoRMS taxon details
Nomenclatureoriginal 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]
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]
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