|
|
Longosomatidae
Natural History
Longosomatids live in soft sediments from shallow water to abyssal depths and are known from scattered records in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the
Mediterranean Sea, East China Sea and Red Sea. Borowski (1995) speculated that their rarity in benthic collections may partly be due to their ability
to retreat within deep burrows out of reach of sampling
equipment. However, Estcourt (1967) readily collected whole longosomatids from grab samples in New Zealand. There are no studies of longosomatid biology.
Diversity
All longosomatid species are referred
to the genus Heterospio (Longosomatidae, originally spelt Longosomidae, has priority for the family name; Borowski 1995). Borowski
(1995) listed and compared the six described species and
several unnamed forms. No longosomatids are known from
Australian waters, although Knox (1960) has recorded an
unnamed species from New Zealand.
Description |
Identification tips |
Natural History |
Diversity |
Checklist |
References |
Identification guide
|
|
