248 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 10 



Family Syllidae 

 Key to Species 



1. Short, blunt, with few segments; dorsal cirri very long through- 

 out; with conspicuous nuchal lappets on dorsal side of peri- 

 stomium Pterosyllis 



1. Longer, often threadlike; dorsal cirri otherwise 2 



2. Prostomium covered over its posterior half with a nuchal hood 3 



2. Prostomium without nuchal hood 4 



3. Dorsum marked with dark pigment bands alternating with yel- 

 low bands at irregular intervals . Odontosyllis phosphorea 



3. Red in life; tiny Odontosyllis parva 



4. Parapodia provided with only, or also, composite hooks ... 5 



4. Parapodia provided with only simple, coarse, distally prolonged 

 setae Haplosyllis spongicola 



5. Minute; ventral and dorsal cirri reduced, inconspicuous; palpi 

 fused throughout; median antenna of prostomium usually longer 

 than the paired ones Exogone 



5. Larger; ventral and dorsal cirri more or less conspicuous; palpi 

 free from each other for some distance 6 



6. Body more or less depressed ; proboscis with a saw-toothed edge 

 (trepan) Trypanosyllis 7 



6. Body not greatly flattened ; proboscis without a trepan ... 8 



7. Dorsum with bold red, transverse stripes . T. geminipara 



7. Dorsum with brownish, diamond-shaped spots on dorsum, seg- 

 mentally arranged T. adamanteus 



8. Setae all composite Typosyllis pulchra 



8. Setae include simple and composite ones . . Syllis alternata 



Members of the family Syllidae are abundant in intertidal zones, 

 but are very poorly known from California. The few species herein 

 named are representative but by no means inclusive. Fauvel (1923) has 

 given useful keys to some genera, and Berkeley (1938) has described 

 some species from the American west coast. 



Odontosyllis phosphorea Moore 



Moore, 1909, pp. 327-328, pi. 15, figs. 8-10. 



This is found among eel grasses, in Tomales Bay and at Tomales 

 Point, ocean side. Sometimes it occupies soft mucous tubes, on under 

 surfaces of foreign objects. Length is 20 to 30 mm. 



