Sosane sulcata can be up to 20 mm long. It can be found along the entire Norwegian coast at depths between 12 and 500 meters.

Type locality

Koster, Bohuslän, Sweden, 20 m.

Key characters

Anterior end of Sosane sulcata. 
br: branchiae (branchial scars), mt: mouth tentacles, pa: paleae, pr: prostomium.

Sosane sulcata. 13th thoracic chaetiger. mntp: modified notopodium

Measurements: Up to 20 mm long

Number of thoracic chaetigers, excluding paleae: 15

Number of thoracic uncinigers: 12

Number of abdominal uncinigers: 12

Prostomium: Trilobed; numerous eyespots

Mouth tentacles: Smooth

Branchiae: Four pairs of branchia in two groups separated by distance equal to about one branchial base diameter; three branchiae in each group in transverse row, fourth branchia located behind the inner branchia of the row

Paleae: Small with filiform tips; 15–20 chaetae on each side

Special features: 13th pair of thoracic notopodia elevated and transformed into transverse narrow vertical wings, nearly meeting at mid-dorsum

Pygidium: With two short lateral cirri

Tube: Thin layer of organic secretion incrusted with mud

Distribution

Entire Norwegian coast; 12–500 m (Holthe 1986a).

Similar species

The elevated 13th pair of thoracic notopodia, in combination with the presence of paleae, makes it unlikely to confuse adult complete specimens of Sosane sulcata with any other Ampharetidae in Norwegian waters.

Sources

Holthe T (1986a). Polychaeta Terebellomorpha. Marine Invertebrates of Scandinavia 7: 1-192.

Malmgren AJ (1866). Nordiska Hafs-Annulater. [part three of three]. Öfversigt af Königlich Vetenskapsakademiens förhandlingar, Stockholm 22(5): 355-410, plates XVIII-XXIX. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32339631

Personal observations, Alvestad T.

Sosane sulcata. Posterior end. lc: lateral cirrus

Sosane sulcata. Thoracic neuropodium with uncini.

Siden siteres som:

Alvestad T og Budaeva N (2020). Sosane sulcata Malmgren, 1866. www.artsdatabanken.no/Pages/299328. Nedlastet <dag/måned/år>