Polychaeta |
Not assigned |
Opheliidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; brackish; depth range 5 - 140 m (Ref. 125304). Temperate; 81°N - 27°N, 169°W - 60°E
Northeast Pacific, Northeast Atlantic, Arctic and Western Indian Ocean: from Alaska to Svalbard, east to Pechora Sea and south to Egypt, Red Sea. Polar to tropical.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Inhabit the sub-littoral zone, in sandbanks and in fine to medium-grained sand substrates (Ref. 96352), commonly at depths between 50-70 m (Ref. 96521). Found in areas influenced by outflows from estuaries (Ref. 96507). A deposit feeder (Ref. 96352).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Polychaeta are mostly gonochoric (sexual). Mating: Females produce a pheromone attracting and signalling the males to shed sperm which in turn stimulates females to shed eggs, this behavior is known as swarming. Gametes are spawned through the metanephridia or body wall rupturing (termed as "epitoky", wherein a pelagic, reproductive individual, "epitoke", is formed from a benthic, nonreproductive individual, "atoke"). After fertilization, most eggs become planktonic; although some are retained in the worm tubes or burrowed in jelly masses attached to the tubes (egg brooders). Life Cycle: Eggs develop into trocophore larva, which later metamorph into juvenile stage (body lengthened), and later develop into adults.
Walker, A.J.M. and E.I.S. Rees. 1980. (Ref. 96352)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Price category
Unknown.
