SCOLEC1PORMIA. 



Sub-order 5. SCOLECIFORMIA. 



With a prestomium which rarely 

 (CMorhaemidfie) carries sensory pro- 

 cesses ; the peristomium is without 

 cirri (except perhaps in the Clilor- 

 liaemidae). The parapodia are re- 

 duced, and may be absent; dorsal 

 cirri (acting as gills) are rarely 

 present ; ventral cirri are absent. 

 Setae unjoin ted ; uncini are not 

 present. Buccal region eversible 

 without armed pharynx. The septa 

 are not developed regularly ; the 

 nephridia, which are all alike, are 

 considerably reduced in number, it 

 may be to a single pair (Sternaspidae 

 and some Chlorhaemidae). Mostly 

 burrowers. 



This is the most unsatisfactory of 

 Benham's sub-orders. Its merit is that 

 it comprises a number of families which 

 cannot be placed with any of the other 

 sub-orders. 



Fam. 1. Opheliidae. Short worms; 

 prestomium conical, without appendages, 

 but with two ciliated pits. Parapodia 

 reduced, with simple setae in two groups. 

 Dorsal cirri acting as gills, or reduced, 

 usually present. They live in the sand. 

 Ophelia Sav. ; Ammotrypane Rathke ; 

 Travisia Johnst. ; Armandia Fil. ; Poly- 

 ophlhalmus Qtf., without gills, eye -like 

 pigment spots on the sides of some of the 

 segments ; circular muscles absent ; oeso- 

 phageal commissures and ventral cords in 

 contact with the ectoderm ; septa absent, 

 except three in front. 



Fam. 2. Maldanidae* (Clymenidae). 

 Body cylindrical, divided into two or 

 three regions. The segments towards 

 the middle of the body may be longer 

 than the rest. Prestomium small, fused 

 with peristomium ; often with eye spots. 



* St. Joseph, Ann. Sci. Nat. (7), 17, 

 1894, p. 130. 



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FIG. 39T. Arenicola piscatorum, dorsal 

 view. A anterior region, comprising 

 six segments; B middle or branchial 

 region, with thirteen segments ; C tail 

 region of variable length a eversible 

 buccal region ; 6, c notopodia with 

 bundles of setae ; d gills. (From Vogt 

 and Yung.) 



