Sosane wireni can be up to 10 mm long. It can be found along the entire Norwegian coast, at Svalbard and in the Barents Sea at depths between 50 and 1500 meters.

Type locality

Sneholmarna, Kosterfjorden, Sweden.

Key characters

Posterior part of thorax, dorsal view
nt13: thirteenth notopodium

Measurements: Up to 10 mm long.

Number of thoracic chaetigers: 15

Number of thoracic uncinigers: 12

Number of abdominal uncingers: 11

Prostomium: Trilobed; without eyespots.

Mouth tentacles: Smooth.

Branchiae: Four pairs of branchiae in two widely separated groups; three branchiae in each group in transverse row, fourth branchia a distance behind the outer one of the three.

Paleae: Absent.

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 few foreign particles.

Distribution

Entire Norwegian coast, Svalbard, Barents Sea; 50–1500 m.

Remarks

Based on genetic data (Eilertsen et al. 2017) S. wireni might be a species complex.

Similar species

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

Sources

Eilertsen MH, Kongsrud JA, Alvestad T, Stiller J, Rouse GW, Rapp HT (2017). Do ampharetids take sedimented steps between vents and seeps? Phylogeny and habitat-use of Ampharetidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. BMC Evol Biol 17, 222. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-1065-1

Hessle C (1917). Zur Kenntnis der terebellomorphen Polychaeten. Zoologiska bidrag från Uppsala 5: 39-258, plates I-V. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38891407

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

Personal observations, Alvestad T.

Siden siteres som:

Alvestad T og Budaeva N (2020). Sosane wireni (Hessle, 1917). www.artsdatabanken.no/Pages/299330. Nedlastet <dag/måned/år>