96 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 10 



Family Eunicidae 



The family Eunicidae is one of the oldest of all the families of Poly- 

 chaeta and has formed the basis of many monographs and reviews (Quat- 

 refages, 1865; Kinberg, 1867; Ehlers, 1868; Gravier, 1900; Crossland, 

 1904; Mcintosh, 1910; Treadwell, 1921; and others). Representatives 

 are largely inhabitants of tropical and subtropical seas, but some species 

 are found also in colder waters {Eunice vivida Stimpson, from New 

 Brunswick). They include not only some of the largest of all known 

 Polychaeta (Fauvel, 1923, p. 403, records a length of 3 meters for E. 

 aphroditois), but a few comparatively minute ones (adults of Marphysa 

 conferta Moore measure only a few cm long). 



The family Eunicidae has been described or reported from the West- 

 ern Hemisphere through many species in 8 genera, including ( 1 ) Eunice 

 Cuvier with 55 species (p. 98), (2) Heteromarphysa Verrill with one 

 species, (3) Lysidice Lamarck with 6 species (p. 124), (4) Macduffia 

 Mcintosh with one species, (5) Marphysa Quatrefages with 26 species 

 (p. 126), (6) Nematonereis Schmarda with 3 species (p. 125), (7) 

 Nicidion Kinberg with 5 species (p. 122), and (8) Paramarphysa Ehlers 

 with one species — a total of 99 species. Two of these genera, Heteromar- 

 physa with type H. tenuis Verrill (1900, p. 637) from Bermuda and 

 Macduffia with type M. bonhardi Mcintosh (1885, p. 303) from the 

 West Indies, are monotypic; the first (Heteromarphysa) is an abranchi- 

 ate form of Marphysa, with prostomium rounded in front; the second 

 (Macduffia) is like Marphysa, also with prostomium rounded in front, 

 a character of questionable generic significance. Paramarphysa Ehlers, an 

 abranchiate Marphysa, is known for only one American species, P. 

 longula Ehlers (1887, p. 99) from off Havana, but is known through 

 other species outside the Americas. These 8 genera are distinguishable 

 as follows : 



Key TO Genera of Eunicidae 



1. Adult with 5 prostomial antennae 2 



1. Adult with 3 prostomial antennae . . . Lysidice, p. 124 



1. Adult with one prostomial antenna . . Nematonereis, p. 125 



2. Peristomium with a pair of cirri dorsally 3 



2. Peristomium without cirri 4 



3. Acicular hooks and pectinate setae absent; mandible massive, 

 much larger than maxillary plates Palola, p. 130 



3. Acicular hooks and pectinate setae present ; mandible not greatly 

 enlarged (Eunice, sensu latior) ... a 



