A polychaete worm (Streblospio shrubsolii)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

Short (<2 cm long), rounded body, tapering slightly towards the back, with between 30 to 48 segments. The prostomium is shaped like a ‘blunt cone’ with four eyes, sometimes with additional eye-like spots. The mouth segment is very short and has a pair of large, short, ringed palps that are ciliated but not grooved. First segment extends into a ‘collar-like' ventral lip possessing a pair of ciliated gills that are larger and longer than the palps. Few dorsal capillary bristles. Bundle of ventral capillary bristles with a small foot-like structure (pedal lamella).

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Widespread around the coast of England, Wales and western Ireland but sparse in Scotland. 

Global distribution

Scattered records across all coasts of France and in the North Sea. Sparse records in the Adriatic Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the Aegean Sea. A high density of records in Denmark and Germany in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat Sea. Scattered records in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.

Habitat

Found in very sheltered gravelly, sandy mud, on the mid and lower shore. 

Depth range

0- 90 m

Identifying features

  • Blunt cone shaped prostomium
  • Collar shaped cirri in second segment
  • Ventral crotchet chaetae in the eighth segment, with a few capillary' chaetae

Additional information

-none-

Listed by

- none -

Further information sources

Search on:

Bibliography

  1. Buchanan, F., 1890. Hekaterobranchus shrubsolii. A new genus and species of the family Spionidae. Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, London, 122, 175-200. Available from: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13820389 

  2. De Kluijver, M.J., van Nieuwenhuijzen, A., Ingalsuo, S. & Veldhuijzen-Van Zanten, H., 2022. Macrobenthos of the North Sea - Polychaeta. Marine Species Identification Portal. ETI Bioinformatics. [cited 2022-06-09] Available from: http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=macrobenthos_polychaeta&menuentry=inleiding

  3. Fauchald, K., 1977. The polychaete worms. Definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. USA: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

  4. Fauvel, P., 1927. Polychètea sédentaires. In Faune de France, 16, 494 pp. Paris: P. Lechevalier.

  5. Stachowitsch, M., 1992. The invertebrates: an illustrated glossary. USA: Wiley-Liss.

Datasets

  1. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

  2. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2025. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2025-05-31

Citation

This review can be cited as:

Maleed, M., 2025. Streblospio shrubsolii A polychaete worm. In Tyler-Walters H. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 31-05-2025]. Available from: https://marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/2374

Last Updated: 22/05/2025