Aonides oxycephala

Prostomium anteriorly pointed. Lateral horns absent. Caruncle present. Occipital antenna present. Nuchal organ short, at most one segment long. Eyes present; 4 eyes. 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 22 (about). 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) 29 (about). Neurochaetae of chaetiger 1 simple capillaries similar to those of subsequent chaetigers. Neuropodial hooded hooks present, first present on chaetiger 40 (about). 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.

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:
Ramos, JM. 1976. Aonides oxycephala (Sars, 1862) remarque taxonomiques. Vie et Milieu sèr. A, 26, 11-20.
Blake, JA and Kudenov, JD. 1978. The Spionidae (Polychaeta) from southeastern Australia and adjacent areas with a revision of the genera. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 39, 171-280.

Global distribution Australia, northern Atlantic (including Europe, UK, Mediterranean), North America, Pacific coast, North America, Atlantic coast, Arctic, Antarctic, South America, Pacific coast, South America, Atlantic coast, South Africa, Madagascar, Indian Ocean coast and Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, tropical Atlantic; distribution within Australia: South-eastern Australia.

Marine, shelf; soft substrates.