Reproduction takes place in spring and summer. The species has planktonic larvae. P. minuta is considered to be an opportunistic species that prefers to colonize newly available habitats, thereby taking advantage of a relatively fast growth. 

 All members of the family Sigalionidae, including this species, are active, free-living predators taking a variety of small invertebrates (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Wolff, 1973; Curtis, 1977; Fauchald & Jumars, 1979; Bosselmann, 1991).

Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, Canadian part of the Arctic Ocean, Cobscook Bay, European waters (ERMS scope), Grand Banks, Greek Exclusive Economic Zone, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, Manicouagan, North East Atlantic, North Sea, North West Atlantic, Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, Red Sea, Saguenay Fjord, Saint Lawrence River, Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone

Arctic; Iceland, Norway to France; Labrador to Long Island Sound, Bering Sea to Central California, n. Japan Sea

The distribution of P. minuta in the area comprises the brackish waters of the Delta area and the Wadden Sea, the coastal zone and the Oyster Ground, where the species is quite abundant. lt is absent from the clean sandy substrates in a large part of the Southern Bight.

In the 1976-1986 period Pholoe minuta was found across the entire Belgian part of the North Sea with a low frequency of occurrence. In the 1994-2001 period this wide distribution was limited to especially the western near-coastal zone, which was characterised by a relatively high frequency of occurrence. The density of P. minuta during both periods was relatively low (maximum 100 ind./m2).

A small species, usually not more than 1 cm long. The body is flat, oblong and on the dorsal side covered with soft scales (elytra). In contrast to Harmothoe species the elytra leave the mid-dorsal part of the body free. The head bears four small eyes and one median antenna. The 40-60 elytra show concentric rings. The worm is black and pale pink, the elytra speckled with rusty brown (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Hayward & Ryland, 1990).

A small bristle worm, usually not larger than 10 mm. The body is flat, elongated and covered with soft scales (elytra) on the dorsal side. The head has four small eyes and one median antenna. Its colour ranges from colourless, flesh colour, greenish to black; the elytra are brownish speckled.

Pholoe minuta is found in sediments with a median grain size ranging from 100 to 500 µm, but displays a slight preference for fine-grained sediments (100 to 250 µm). However, the relative occurrence of the species remains low at all times (< 20%). With regard to the mud content the P. minuta displays a clear preference for sediments with a mud content up to 50%.

P. minuta prefers to live in very fine sand with more than 10% mud. It is also recorded from under stones, among old shells, in empty tubes of Sabellaria spinulosa and in black anoxic mud (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Hayward & Ryland, 1990).

Known from the nearshore.

intertidal, bathyal, infralittoral and circalittoral of the Gulf and estuary

Depth range based on 2100 specimens in 2 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 584 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 2718
  Temperature range (°C): -1.617 - 27.668
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.316 - 29.685
  Salinity (PPS): 25.879 - 38.201
  Oxygen (ml/l): 2.900 - 8.402
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.038 - 2.182
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.805 - 51.234

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 2718

Temperature range (°C): -1.617 - 27.668

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.316 - 29.685

Salinity (PPS): 25.879 - 38.201

Oxygen (ml/l): 2.900 - 8.402

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.038 - 2.182

Silicate (umol/l): 0.805 - 51.234
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 31 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 34
Specimens with Barcodes: 37
Species With Barcodes: 1