POLYCELABTE WORMS, PART 1 243 



Material examined. — Very numerous specimens from off New- 

 foundland (44°26' N., 62°10' W.) to off Florida (27°04' N., 83°21' 

 W.), in 2 to 1,582 fathoms. 



Distribution. — Greenland, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Norway to 

 France, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Davis Strait, off Newfoundland to 

 off Florida. In 2 to 1,800 fathoms. 



Family Onupliidae 



The onuphids are modified for a tubicolous mode of life. Body 

 elongate, vermiform, with numerous similar segments, with smooth, 

 pohshed iridescent cuticle. Prostomium (fig. 64, a, 6) with 2 globu- 

 lar ventral palps. Seven antennae present, 2 frontal, 5 occipital with 

 more or less ringed bases or ceratophores. With or without eyes. A 

 single apparent apodous buccal or tentacular segment (probably first 

 segment either fused with prostomium or mth second segment), with 

 or without a pair of short dorsolateral tentacular cirri (fig. 64a) . Bran- 

 chiae present or absent; when present, they are simple (fig. 64r/), 

 pectinate (fig. 656), or spiral (fig, 6Q,a,b). 



Parapodia essentially uniramous. There may be embedded noto- 

 acicula in the bases of the dorsal cirri. Anterior feet more or less 

 modified, enlarged and directed anteriorly (or no longer than succeed- 

 ing). Setae of several kinds. Dorsal cirri cirriform; ventral cirri 

 cirriform anteriorly, rest reduced to flattened, cushionlike glandular 

 pads (fig. 65,a,6). Pygidium with 2^ anal cirri (fig. 66c). Proboscis 

 with a pair of ventral mandibles (fig. 64e) and 4}^ pairs of maxillae 

 (right maxilla iii missing), with a pair of short broad maxillary car- 

 riers (fig. 64/). Jaws rather weakly developed compared to the other 

 related families of euniceids. Carnivorous. 



The tubes, on the whole, are characteristic of the species, consisting 

 of a thinner or thicker parchmentlike base secreted by the animal (may 

 be translucent), on the outside of which may be attached foreign parti- 

 cles of various sorts, as sand, mud, gravel, shell fragments, fibers or 

 spicules of sponges, and shells of foraminiferans. The tubes may be 

 composed exclusively of the hardened secretion from the animal, as in 

 Hyalinoecia. The onuphids live in a permanent tube. The tube 

 may be free and unattached as in Hyalinoecia and Onuphis conchylega, 

 so that the onuphid may pull out of the tube or (h-ag it along; or the 

 tube may be buried in the substratum with end protruding; in which 

 case the onuphid pulls out of the tube to gather food or foreign mate- 

 rials to be incorporated in the tube. 



