Aonidella cirrobranchiata

Prostomium anteriorly pointed. Lateral horns absent. Caruncle absent. Occipital antenna absent. Nuchal organ short, at most one segment long. Eyes absent. Palps simple, lacking basal sheath. Dorsal ridge connecting bases of branchiae on chaetiger 1 absent. Prominent dorsal collar on setiger 2 absent. Dorsal branchiae present, first present on chaetiger 2. Dorsal branchiae absent from many median and posterior chaetigers, last present on chaetiger 9–11. Dorsal branchiae continuous. Dorsal branchiae free and separate from notopodial lamellae throughout, all simple. First branchiae without process at base on anterior face. Accessory branchiae arising from posterior part of notopodium absent. Ventral branchiae absent. Chaetiger 3 without filament at base of branchiae. Dorsal crests absent. Ventral crests absent. Chaetiger 1 notopodium present. Chaetiger 1 notochaetae present. Neuropodial lobe of chaetiger 2 rounded, approximately symmetrical. Neuropodial lobes of posterior chaetigers a single lobe. Interparapodial pouches absent. Chaetigers 2–4 similar, not strongly differentiated. Chaetiger 5 unmodified, similar to subsequent chaetigers. Posterior modified notochaetae absent. Notopodial hooded hooks present, first on chaetiger(s) 30–35. Neurochaetae of chaetiger 1 simple capillaries similar to those of subsequent chaetigers. Neuropodial hooded hooks present, first present on chaetiger 18–19. Neuropodial hooded hooks with accessory tooth or teeth above the main fang, 1 accessory tooth (bidentate). Shaft of neuropodial hooded hooks of constant thickness, lacking a constriction. Neuropodial sabre chaetae absent. Neuropodial spines absent. Embedded bunches of notopodial needle chaetae absent. Pygidium with 4 similar cirri.

Description generated from: Wilson, RS & McDiarmid, H 2013. Spionidae (Polychaeta)- A DELTA database of genera, and Australian species. Version 2; originally published as In RS Wilson, PA Hutchings & CJ Glasby (eds) Polychaetes: An Interactive Identification Guide. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Additional references:
Maciolek, N.J. 2000. New species and records of Aonidella, Laonice, and Spiophanes (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from shelf and slope depths of the western North Atlantic. Bulletin of Marine Science 67: 529-547.

Global distribution northern Atlantic (including Europe, UK, Mediterranean); distribution within Australia: Not known from Australia.

Insufficient data.