SOME POLYCHAETE SPECIES FROM THE SOFT BOTTOM OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR OF ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ORBINIIDS AND PARAONIDS HABITATS

SOME POLYCHAETE SPECIES FROM THE SOFT BOTTOM OF
THE EASTERN HARBOUR OF ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ORBINIIDS AND PARAONIDS
HABITATS
FAIZA A. ABD-ELNABY
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt.
Key words: Polychaeta, Orbiniidae, Paraonidae, Hesionidae, Saccocirridae.
ABSTRACT
In the present study six polychaete species were reported, five of them are considered
as new records to the Mediterranean marine waters of the Egyptian Coasts. They were
collected from the soft bottom in the Eastern Harbour of Alexandria. They had not been
previously recorded in the Egyptian Mediterranean Coastal waters. These species are:
Scoloplos (Leodamas) rubra , Scoloplos (Leodamas) dendrobranchus, Paradoneis lyra,
Ophiodromus pallidus and Saccocirrus papillocercus. While Scolaricia typica was
previously reported by Fauvel (1937) in Alexandria. The recorded species are belonging to
four families: Orbiniidae, Paraonidae, Hesionidae and Saccocirridae.The families
Paraonidae and Saccocirridae and the genera: Scoloplos, Saccocirrus and Paradoneis are
recoded for the first time in the Eygptian Mediterranean waters. The relation between the
surrounding habitat, pointed prostomium and sac-like or dentritic branching eversible
pharynx and burrowing activity of the recorded Orbiniidae and Paraonidae species, was
discussed.