Notoproctus


Notoproctus is a genus of marine polychaete worms in the family Maldanidae. It is the only member of the subfamily Notoproctinae.

Description

Notoproctus worms are characterized by the presence of cephalic and pygidial plates, a cephalic plate with a low rim, a wide prostomium that forms a low keel, strongly curved nuchal grooves, notochaetae with long and thick capillaries, neurochaetae shaped as acicular spines or reduced uncini in the first four chaetigers, subsequent chaetigers with a row of rostrate uncini, a pygidium with a flat pygidial plate with a low rim, and an anus dorsal to the plate. They have 10 to 17 chaetigers, and some achaetous segments before the pygidium.

Classification

This genus contains 9 species:
  • Notoproctus abyssus
  • Notoproctus godeffroyi
  • Notoproctus laevis
  • Notoproctus lineatus
  • Notoproctus oculatus
  • Notoproctus pacificus
  • Notoproctus scutiferus
  • ''Notoproctus sibogae''