APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

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Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen two 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen one 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen one anterior 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen one posterior 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen one close-up 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- specimen one with 0.1mm division rule 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- low tide mark sample site 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- Tavis Vor, Mousehole 1

Two specimens of this species were found in a small scrape sample of Corallina officinalis, Coral Weed, on the low tide mark of a spring tide at Tavis Vor, Mousehole, Cornwall, 05.06.20. Both specimens were sent to Maria Capa at the Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Mallorca, Spain, for DNA analysis so the worms identity could be established, it being a cryptic species within a complex of species.

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 2

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- lateral view 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 3

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 4

Specimen above found in a sample or coralline algae taken from the extreme lowershore east of the causeway for St. Michael's Mount, Marazion, Cornwall. 21.03.15.

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- worm coiled 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view 2

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- posterior view / tail 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- dorsal view head 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- microscope image 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- microscope image 2

Specimen above found in a sample of Coral weed taken from a middleshore pool at Battery Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall. 07.04.15.

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- worm anterior 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- worm middle 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- head under microscope 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- head under microscope 2

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- anterior under microscope 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- posterior under microscope 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- posterior under microscope 2

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- chaetae 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- chaeta 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- habitat / location 1

Sphaerodorid worm
Sphaerodorum sp.
- habitat / location 2

Specimen above found in a sediment sample taken from under a boulder at Godrevy Point, Gwithian, near Hayle, Cornwall, 10.09.18.

At one point it was thought the species here was either Sphaerodorum gracilis (Rathke, 1843) or possibly Ephesiella abyssorum (Hansen, 1878), but it appears both these genera should be synonymized. Ref: Lumping and splitting at once: the interesting case of Ephesiella and Sphaerodorum (Sphaerodoridae, Annelida) in the North-East Atlanic by María Capa, Joan Pons, Torkild Bakken and Arne Nygren.

This species of sphaerodorid is a cryptic species from within a species complex, it has yet to be determined through sequencing and further study.

It is likely this species has previously been recorded in Cornwall as Sphaerodorum gracilis.

Kindly verified by Dr. Arne Nygren.

 

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help

people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.

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