Onuphidae is a family of polychaete worms.

Characteristics

Most Onuphids have tubes. Some live semi-submerged in the substrate but others carry their tubes around, and they can all rebuild their tubes if necessary. The tubes are thin and parchment-like and are formed of bits of shell and sand, with plant debris, stuck together with mucous. The Onuphids are all omnivorous scavengers, feeding on animal and vegetable debris.^[2][3]

The prostomium has 2 short frontal antennae, 2 globular palps and 5 main antennae. The mandibles are large and the maxillae have several pairs of plates edged with fine teeth. There are some tentacular cirri. The anterior parapodium points forward and has tapered ventral cirri. The posterior parapodium has cushion-like cirri. The setae include winged capillaries and pseudocompound forms on the anterior parapodia and winged capillaries, comb-setae and acicular setae on the posterior ones.^[2]

Genera

The World Register of Marine Species includes the following genera in the family:^[1]

• Americonuphis Fauchald, 1973
• Anchinothria Paxton, 1986
• Aponuphis Kucheruk, 1978
• Australonuphis Paxton, 1986
• Brevibrachium Paxton, 1986
• Diopatra Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833
• Dualgenys †
• Epidiopatra Augener, 1918
• Fauchaldonuphis Paxton, 2005
• Hartmanonuphis Paxton, 1986
• Heptaceras Ehlers, 1868
• Hirsutonuphis Paxton, 1986
• Hyalinoecia Malmgren, 1867
• Hyalospinifera Kucheruk, 1979
• Kinbergonuphis Fauchald, 1982
• Leptoecia Chamberlin, 1919
• Longibrachium Paxton, 1986
• Mooreonuphis Fauchald, 1982
• Neonuphis
• Nothria Malmgren, 1866
• Notonuphis Kucheruk, 1978
• Onuphis Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833
• Paradiopatra Ehlers, 1887
• Parahyalinoecia
• Paranorthia
• Paraonuphis
• Parhyalinoecia
• Paronuphis Ehlers, 1887
• Paxtonia Budaeva & Fauchald, 2011
• Protodiopatra Budaeva & Fauchald, 2011
• Rhamphobrachium Ehlers, 1887

References