Selys-Longchamps, 1903: 4-35; Selys-Longchamps, 1907: 20-47; Meek, 1917: 37-42; Silen, 1952: 97-108; Mamkaev, 1962: 220-228; Emig, 1984: 65-66; Emig, 1979: 36-39; 2004; Bailey-Brock, Emig, 2000: 123; Emig et al., 2000: 79-81.
Description. Body lengthis 50-160 mm, diameter – 0.5-1 mm. Color of living animals is yellowish, reddish or pink. Lophophore is horseshoe-shaped, there is a pre-oral formation zone of tentacles: medial tentacles of the oral body side are 2-3 times longer than the lateral ones. The number of tentacles varies from 40 to 100, their length reaches 1-2 mm. Only left giant nerve fiber with the diameter of 7-40 μm is available. Body coelom is characterized by the absence of the left lateral mesentery. Longitudinal muscles is of feather type, and the muscular formula is as follows:
|
5 – 13 |
8–11 |
|
3–5 |
3–5 |
Metanephridia of the III type. Every metanephridium has one coelomic funnel, short descending and long ascending branches.
Dioecious species, males have big and glandular lophophoral organs. These organs can be found just in some specimens in the late summer-early autumn.
There is a planktotrophic larva Actinotrocha branchiata.
Distribution.Tropical-boreal species. In the Pacific Ocean it is noticed near the coasts of Australia, Hawaii, New Caledonia Island, Panama and Peru, in the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan (Gulf of Tatary, 46°- 50° N), in Okhotsk Sea (Aniva Bay, Terpenia Bay, Naho Cape – near the cost of Japan), in the South Kuril Strait. In the Atlantic Ocean it was found near the coasts of the USA (Florida, Gulf of Saint Lawrence), Mexico (Gulf of Mexico), near Azores, near Spain coasts, in the Bay of Biscay, in the English Channel, in the North and Mediterranean Seas. In the Indian Ocean it dwells near Madagascar Island and Comoro Islands.
Data on biology. Dwells on sandy, oozy, oozy-sandy grounds, at the depths of 1-390 m. In the Sea of Japan it is found in the Gulf of Tatary: occurs at 16.5-140 m depths with maximal population density at 50-100 m depths. Often forms communities with the other phoronid species Phoronis psammophila.
References:
The World Register of Marine Species