sand worm or opheliid polychaete Ophelina breviata

Ophelina breviata is found in Antarctica and Peter I Island, South Orkney Islands, and South Georgia Island from 20 to 1,079 meters depth [1,4]. O. breviata is up to 3.4 centimeters long, with a width up to two millimeters, and 24 to 28 segments [1].



Another view of Ophelina breviata.

Its predators include the fish Trematomus bernacchii [6].

Opheliid polychaetes may be short and grub-like, long and smooth like a nematode, or have visible parapodia and setae (lobed projections and bristles) [1,2]. Opheliid polychaetes live in soft substrates and are deposit feeders [5].

Antarctic polychaetes have a much higher percentage of unique species than polychaete faunas in other parts of the world [3].

Taxonomic Note: An older name is Ammotrypane breviata [1].

1: Polychaeta Myzostomidae and Sedentaria of Antarctica. O Hartman. Antarctic Research Series Volume 7. Washington DC : American Geophysical Union of the National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, 1966; 2: Biology of the Antarctic Seas 6(4):125-223, 1978. Antarctic Research Series Volume 26; 3: Adaptations within Antarctic Ecosystems, Proceedings of the Third SCAR Symposium on Antarctic Biology. GA Llano, ed. Washington, DC : Smithsonian Institution, 1977. pp.1111-1127; 4: United States National Museum Polar Invertebrate Catalog at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/iz/usap/usapdb.html; 5: Marine Invertebrates of Southern Australia, Part 1. SA Shepherd & IM Thomas. Adelaide, South Australia: DJ Woolman Government Printer, 1982; 6: Polar Biology 13:291-296, 1993

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photograph ©Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Photograph may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan).