General Description
Flattened, short-bodied worm of fixed length, 26 segments, top (dorsal) surface with a row of 12 pairs of flattened scales. The only common short-bodied scale worm in southern Australia with gaps between the scales so they do not cover the dorsal surface completely.
Biology
An omnivorous jawed polychaete often found in clumps of algae, holdfasts and similar cryptic habitats.
Distribution
Southern Australia.
Habitat
Marine; rocks and algae, intertidal to depth of 44 m.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Short-bodied worm with gaps between the scales.
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Colours
Brown, Grey
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Habitats
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Diet
Organic matter
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
DSE Advisory List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Depths
Shallow (1-30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Quatrefages, 1866)
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Common Name
Scale Worm
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Phylum
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Class
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Subclass
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
argus
