Tubulanus Polymorphus Class: Anopla Order: Paleonemertea an Orange Ribbon Worm Family: Tubulanidae
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Phylum: Nemertea Tubulanus polymorphus Class: Anopla Order: Paleonemertea An orange ribbon worm Family: Tubulanidae “Such a worm when seen crawling in long and Palaeonemertea) but with lateral graceful curves over the bottom in clear water transverse grooves (Fig. 2a, b, c). earns for itself a place among the most Head cannot completely withdraw into body (Kozloff 1974). beautiful of all marine invertebrates” (Coe Posterior: No caudal cirrus. 1905) Eyes/Eyespots: None. Mouth: A long slit-like opening (Fig. 2c) Taxonomy: Tubulanus polymorphous was a posterior to the brain, separate from name assigned in unpublished work by proboscis pore (Fig. 2c) and positioned just Renier (1804). The genera Tubulanus and behind transverse furrows (Coe 1901). Carinella were described by Renier (1804) Proboscis: Eversible (phylum Nemertea) and Johnston (1833), respectively, and were and, when not everted, coiled inside synonymized by Bürger in 1904 (Gibson rhynchocoel (cavity). The proboscis in 1995). Melville (1986) and the International Tubulanus polymorphus is short with the Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) rhynchocoel reaching one third total worm determined that the family name Tubulanidae body length. Proboscis bears no stylets and take precedence over its senior subjective the proboscis pore almost terminal (Fig. 2c). synonym Carinellidae (Ritger and Norenburg Tube/Burrow: As is true for most Tubulanus 2006) and the name Tubulanus polymorphus species, T. polymorphus individuals live in was deemed published and available (ICZN thin parchment tubes that are attached to 1988). Previous names for T. polymorphus rocks or shells and made of hardened include C. polymorpha, C. rubra and C. mucous secretions (Coe 1943). speciosa. Possible Misidentifications Description The genus Tubulanus is slender, soft, Size: A large nemertean, up to three meters extensible without ocelli or cephalic grooves when extended. Commonly 25–75 cm in (Corrêa 1964) and with a flattened head with length and 5 mm in width (Coe 1901, 1905; transverse lateral grooves. Five other species Corrêa 1964). of Tubulanus are reported for Pacific Color: Individuals boldly colored in solid red, Northwest intertidal and subtidal habitats brown, orange or vermillion. No patterns and (Roe et al. 2007). T. polymorphus and T. no dorsal or ventral color differences (Coe sexlineatus are most common intertidally. 1901). Tubulanus polymorphus can be distinguished General Morphology: Recognizable by from the others by its large size, strong color bright orange color and long, stretchy and lack of pattern. morphology. Individuals are sometimes found Some of the other species are: within parchment tubes. Tubulanus pellucidus, a small (to 2.5 cm in Body: Long, thin and very soft (Coe 1901). length), white to translucent tube-dweller in Non-segmented (phylum Nemertea), estuaries, occurs on the Pacific coast from cylindrical anterior but can flatten posteriorly San Francisco to San Diego and on the (Fig. 1). Atlantic coast from New England to Florida Anterior: Head rather broad, set off (Gibson 1995; Roe et al. 2007). Tubulanus from body and somewhat flattened. cingulatus is deep brown with white No cephalic grooves (order Hiebert, T.C. 2015. Tubulanus polymorphus. In: Oregon Estuarine Invertebrates: Rudys' Illustrated Guide to Common Species, 3rd ed. T.C. Hiebert, B.A. Butler and A.L. Shanks (eds.). University of Oregon Libraries and Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Charleston, OR. A publication of the University of Oregon Libraries and the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Individual species: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12651 and full 3rd edition: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18839 Email corrections to: [email protected] transverse rings and four long stripes. Abundance: Rather common (Corrêa 1964) Individuals reach lengths to 15 cm and occur and quite common on the outer coast in subtidally and lower in soft sediments. Pacific Oregon, but rarely abundant in Alaska (Coe distribution from Bolinas to San Diego, 1901). California (Coe 1904; Roe et al. 2007). Tubulanus sexlineatus is up to 1.5 m in Life-History Information length, chocolate brown with white rings and Reproduction: Male and female individuals 5–6 longitudinal lines. This tube-dwelling often inhabit the same parchment tube where species is found from Alaska to southern they deposit eggs (Coe 1943). Specimens California (Griffin 1898; Roe et al. 2007). are sexually mature from early summer (San Tubulanus capistratus is a slender and brown Juan Island, WA, Stricker 1987) to August tube-dweller (Coe 1901), up to one meter (Coe 1905) and can produce great numbers long, with many narrow white transverse rings of large (350 µm in diameter) eggs (Stricker and three longitudinal lines. The range of T. 1987), which are often used for experimental capistratus is Alaska to Monterey Bay, studies (Coe 1940; Stricker et al. 2001, 2013). California (Roe et al. 2007). Subtidal species Larva: Larvae hatch after two days, are large found off the coast of southern California (500 µm in length) and uniformly ciliated with include T. albocinctus and T. frenatus (Coe inconspicuous apical tuft of cilia (Stricker 1904; Corrêa 1964). 1987). These lecithotrophic larvae develop Because of the many identifying rapidly (approximately 90 hr, Coe 1940; characteristics that are internal and not Stricker 1987). visible, it is sometimes very difficult to Juvenile: distinguish among nemerteans without Longevity: dissecting them. Ways in which the worms Growth Rate: The growth rate of most flatten, contract, and coil are useful as aids to nemerteans is unknown. Most species have identification of live specimens. some regenerative ability. Tubulanus polymorphus and T. sexlineatus are known to Ecological Information regenerate both anterior and posterior ends Range: NE Pacific range Aleutian Islands, (T. Hiebert, pers. obs.) Alaska south to Monterey, California. Food: A predator on soft-bodied worms and Worldwide distribution includes northern mollusks, where only soft parts are ingested European and Mediterranean coasts. from larger prey (Coe 1943). Local Distribution: Collected in Coos Bay in Predators: exposed parts of estuaries, as well as rocky Behavior: Can be found at low tide outer shores. Coos Bay sites include searching for food. Charleston, Barview and Pony Slough. Habitat: Under heavy boulders, among Bibliography mussels, in mud and shell hash, on both open coast and in bays (Haderlie 1975). It is the 1. COE, W. R. 1901. Papers from the common large orange nemertean of the outer Harriman Alaska Expedition. The coastal rocky intertidal. Nemerteans. Proceedings of the Salinity: Often collected on outer rocky Washington Academy:1-110. shores at salinities of 30. 2. —. 1904. Nemerteans of the Pacific Temperature: Found in cold and temperate coast of North America. Harriman waters. Expedition. 11:111-220. Tidal Level: Intertidal (Corrêa 1964) to low 3. —. 1905. Nemerteans of the west and intertidal and subtidal zones (Haderlie 1980). northwest coasts of North America. Associates: Small polychaetes are often Bulletin of the Museum at Harvard found within the parchment tubes of T. College. xlvii:1-318. polymorphus. 4. —. 1940. Revision of the nemertean fauna of the Pacific coasts of north, Hiebert, T.C. 2015. Tubulanus polymorphus. In: Oregon Estuarine Invertebrates: Rudys' Illustrated Guide to Common Species, 3rd ed. T.C. Hiebert, B.A. Butler and A.L. Shanks (eds.). University of Oregon Libraries and Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Charleston, OR. central and northern South America. adjacent regions. University of Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions. Washington Press, Seattle. Reports. 2:247-323. 14. MELVILLE, R. V. 1986. Tubulanus 5. —. 1943. Biology of the nemerteans of and Tubulanus polymorphus the Atlantic coast of North America. (Polychaeta) proposed reinstatement Transactions of the Connecticut under plenary powers. Bulletin of Academy of Arts and Sciences. Zoological Nomenclature. 43:112-114. 35:129-328. 15. RITGER, R. K., and J. L. 6. CORRÊA, D. D. 1964. Nemerteans NORENBURG. 2006. Tubulanus from California and Oregon. riceae new species (Nemertea: Proceedings of the California Anopla: Palaeonemertea: Academy of Sciences (series 4). Tubulanidae), from south Florida, 31:515-558. Belize and Panama. Journal of Natural 7. GIBSON, R. 1995. Nemertean genera History. 40:931-942. and species of the world: an annotated 16. ROE, P., J. L. NORENBURG, and S. checklist of original names and MASLAKOVA. 2007. Nemertea, p. description citation, synonyms, current 221-233. In: Light and Smith manual: taxonomic status, habitats and intertidal invertebrates from central recorded zoogeographic distribution. California to Oregon. J. T. Carlton Journal of Natural History. 29:271-562. (ed.). University of California Press, 8. GRIFFIN, B. B. 1898. Description of Berkeley, CA. some marine Nemerteans of Puget 17. STRICKER, S. A. 1987. Phylum Sound and Alaska. Annals of the New Nemertea, p. 129-137. In: York Academy of Sciences. xi:pp. 193- Reproduction and development of 218. marine invertebrates of the northern 9. HADERLIE, E. C. 1975. Phylum Pacific coast. University of Nemertea (Rhynchocoela), p. 112- Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 120. In: Light's manual: intertidal 18. STRICKER, S. A., C. CLINE, and D. invertebrates of the central California GOODRICH. 2013. Oocyte maturation coast. S. F. Light, R. I. Smith, and J. T. and fertilization in marine nemertean Carlton (eds.). University of California worms: using similar sorts of signaling Press, Berkeley. pathways