Terebellidae Grube, 1850

Santos, Andre Souza Dos, Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos, Fukuda, Marcelo Veronesi & Christoffersen, Martin Lindsey, 2010, New terebellids (Polychaeta: Terebellidae) from northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 2389 (1), pp. 1-46 : 4

Family Terebellidae Grube, 1850

Diagnosis. Terebelliform polychaetes with numerous buccal tentacles of prostomial origin and not retractable into the mouth. Prostomium only present dorsally, extending transversely across body, fused to dorsal part of upper lip. Peristomium forming upper and lower lip, sometimes extending laterally from mouth for variable extension. Segment 1 achaetous and abranchiate. Up to three pairs of branchiae may be present, usually starting from segment 2. Notopodia extending for variable number of segments, bearing capillary chaetae of variable morphology arranged in two tiers, anterior tier usually with shorter chaetae. Neuropodia usually bearing avicular uncini. Nephridial papillae usually present on anterior body, on variable position and extending for a number of segments, nephridia with inner openings anterior to gular membrane (until segment 5) with excretory functions (= nephridial papillae), those posterior to gular membrane with reproductive functions (= genital papillae), for liberation of gametes ( Hessle 1917; Smith 1992, 1994; Nogueira et al. in press).