Cirrophorus eliasoni (Mackie, 1991)

Synonyms:
Paradoneis eliasoni Mackie, 1991
Paraonis lyra (non Southern) Eliason, 1920
Cirrophorus lyra Strelzov, 1973
Paradoneis armata (non Glémarec) Hartley, 1981
Cirrophorus eliasoni Hartmann-Schröder 1996

Distinguishing characteristics
Prostomium without eyes or antenna.
Finger-like, pointed branchiae, starting at chaetiger 4.
Forked notopodial modified chaetae.

Species description
Body cylindrical. Prostomium short and conical, without eyes or antenna. Up to 12 pairs of finger-like, pointed branchiae, starting at chaetiger 4. Notopodial postchaetal lobes on the first chaetigers short, posteriorly becoming longer. All chaetae on the anterior segments are capillaries.1-3 forked, notopodial modified chaetae, with a long and a short branch, starting at notopodium 4-8. Posterior 25-35 neuropodia with capillary chaetae and one weakly bent spine. Pygidium with 3 cirri, the median somewhat shorter than the lateral ones.

Size
Up to 7.2 mm.

Color
Colourless, anteriorly with small brown spots.

Habitat
Usually on mud and sand; upper sublittoral to 680 m.

Mobility

Feeding
Subsurface deposit feeder.

Life cycle

Distribution
Arctic, North Sea to Öresund.