110 U.S. NA'TIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 227 



Family Pilargiidae 



A rather poorly defiued family, the niembers of which are some- 

 times considered as aberrant hesionids or syllids. Body of small size, 

 elongate, cylindrical to greatly flattened. Prostomium small and 

 inconspicuous, with usually 3 antennae (0, 2 or 3), a pair of palps 

 (large, small or absent; may be biarticulate) , 4 eyes (0, 2 or 4). First 

 or tentacular segment apodous and achaetous, may be more or less 

 fused with prostomium, usually with 2 pairs tentacular cu-ri (may be 

 lacking). Antennae and tentacular cirri may be short to long. 

 Parapodia subbiramous, notopodia small, with 1 to few acicula, with 

 or without heavy acicular spines. Neuropodia larger, with acicula 

 and simple setae. Dorsal and ventral cirri present. Anal segment 

 with or without a pah' of anal cirri or anal plate. Integument may 

 be papillated, areolated or smooth. Proboscis eversible, cylindrical 

 or globular, usually without jaws, with or without papillae. 



For more complete description of family, see Hartman (1947b). 

 Contains only one New England genus. 



Genus Ancistrosyllis Mcintosh, 1879 



Type (monotypy) : Ancistrosyllis groenlandica Mcintosh, 1879. 

 Contains only one New England species. 



Ancistrosyllis groenlandica Mcintosh, 1879 



Figure 30 



Ancistrosyllis groenlandica Mcintosh, 1879, p. 502, pi. 65, figs. 3, 20. — South- 

 ward, 1956, p. 260, fig. l,e-j. 



Description. — Length up to 40 mm., width up to 1.0 mm., seg- 

 ments up to 70. Body elongate, tapered slightly anteriorly and 

 posteriorly, flattened dorsoventrally, with segments deeply notched 

 laterally. Integument papillated, including body, parapodia and 

 cirri (fig. 30,a-e). Prostomium (fig. 30,a,6) small, suboval, with 

 pair large globular palps extending anteroventrally, with three short 

 fusiform antennae, with pair large lateral eyes (according to Mcin- 

 tosh ; not seen on specimens examined) . Tentacular segment achaetous, 

 somewhat fused dorsaUy with prostomium, with two pairs short 

 fusiform tentacular cirri. Dorsal cirri of first setiger about twice 

 as long as following; rest rather short, fusiform; ventral cu-ri shorter, 

 fusiform. 



Notopodium inconspicuous, with a slender embedded aciculum 

 and, beginning on setigers 4 or 5, with a large hooked acicular seta 

 placed above the dorsal cirrus (fig. 30,a,c,d,f). Neuropodium form- 

 ing a prominent lobe, with acicula and bundle of simple setae. Neu- 

 rosetae longer and shorter, both lands tapering to slender, slightly 



