ID help please

[Force Eleven]

About 5cm long, found under a rock on the middle shore

Thanks in advance,

F11

[Force Eleven]

Also, are they tubeworms around it??

[SteveSmith]

It looks like a Polynoidae scale worm most probably Harmothoe impar but it'd be hard to be sure without seeing the scales and possibly the chaetae up close to be sure which species.

Yes they are tube worms surrounding it, belonging to the Serpulidae family, probably Spirorbis species.

It also looks like you have a small patch (above/right of the scale worm) of the colonial sea squirts Botryllus schlosseri

[oxycera]

Isn't it some kind of flatworm (triclad)?

[SteveSmith]

It does look a bit like a flat worm because its very soggy and therefore its scales aren't very obvious. but towards the left end of the worm there's some lighter coloured patches, this is were some scales have been lost and the paler skin can be seen.

[Yashca]

It does look like a Harmothoe species, but my book says that H. impar only grows to 25mm, and this specimin is 2-3 times the size of this. Could it be one of the larger scaleworm? My book has two that are around the correct size, H. imbricata and Gattyana cirhosa. Do either of these seem possible?

[Force Eleven]

You and your book Pedro! Making things awkward

You are strictly correct though, although it does look like the one Steve suggested, the size of our example points to something else

F11

[SteveSmith]

lol

I'm less sure every time I look at it which one it is! It could be H. imbricata or Gattyana cirhosa, it's really not very easy to tell without seeing the scales and chaetae under a microscope.

I can see a black dot like marking running down its back (underneath the scales) which reminds me of G. cirhosa, but I cant remember if many other species have a similar pattern. I'll have a look in the scale worm book at work tomorrow and our reference collection, its really going to bug me other wise!

[Force Eleven]

Don't worry about it too much Steve. We are planning a rockpooling trip later this week when the tides get lower. By then I shouldhave a new macro lens to play with, so anymore that we see should be captured in better quality and more detail for you.

I appreciate all your help mate

F11

[SteveSmith]

no problem, I like trying to work out what stuff is Having a quick look at work I think it's probably Harmothoe extenuata or possibly Lepidonotus squamatus. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's still something completely different!