Unusual mode of reproduction in a new species of polychaete [25]

Abstract

A NEW species of Rhamphobrachium (Onuphidae:Polyehaeta) has recently been discovered on the Victorian coast of southern Australia and is being described elsewhere by one of us. This new species shows a number of unusual features for the genus, apart from its mode of reproduction. There are nine species of Rhamphobrachium already described from various parts of the world and they are all deep water forms, ranging from 10 fathoms to 725 fathoms with the deeper habitats predominating. These species have all been described as being associated with a sandy or mud bottom from which they were easily extracted by dredging. The new species is littoral in habitat, being found just above low water mark in tubes in hard limestone (calcarenite) rock. Because of this unusual habitat this is the first member of the genus to be available for study on its biology and a full study of its reproductive biology is to begin soon. This is a preliminary report of the unusual features of its reproductive biology. © 1968 Nature Publishing Group.