Description:-

Body ovoid, with attenuated caudal region forming tail, 0.7-4.5 cm long, 0.4-2.2 cm wide, 31-38 segments. Dorsum brown coloured in alcohol, thin felt covering elytra. Golden notosetae amongst felt. Ventral surface tan, covered with many small, spherical papillae. Prostomium small, rounded, with 2 raised hemispherical ocular areas with 2 pairs small black eyes of same size. Median antenna elongate with slightly enlarged tip, similar length to prostomium. Palps extending to segment 3-5, palphophores less than one-quarter length of prostomium, margins smooth. Facial tubercle three- quarters length of prostomium, covered in small spherical papillae, partly hidden by palps dorsally. Elytra 15 pairs, with firm stout attachments to elytrophores on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11,13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28 and 31. Elytra opaque, first pair rounded with elytrophore attached centrally, following elytra large, rounded with elytrophores attached laterally, posterior elytra elongate with elytrophores attached anterolaterally. All elytra with some scattered micropapillae. First or tentacular segment with elongated, flattened, uniramous parapodia, with few scattered papillae. Inner, anterior edge of parapodia with tuft of fine, short, pale yellow, capillary setae, also tuft of fine, pale yellow setae on distal tip and ventral surface of parapodia, 2 pairs of cylindrical tentaculophores on upper edge of parapodia, tentacular cirri with slightly enlarged distal tips, dorsal and ventral pair same length, one-third length of palps. Following segments with biramous parapodia. Second and 3rd neuropodia with 2 tiers of neurosetae: upper tier with 2 golden brown, unidentate neurosetae with slightly curved tips, lower tier with tuft of many (20+), golden yellow, bipinnate neurosetae. Ventral cirri slender, tapering, arising on base of neuropodia with papillated cirrophores, not extending beyond distal tip of neuropodia. Remaining neuropodia cylindrical, covered in rounded papillae, with 3 tiers of golden brown neurosetae with slightly curved tips, with short plumose beard on inner side underneath curve. Upper tier with 2 stouter, thicker, darker neurosetae, middle tier with 3-5 neurosetae, lower tier with 5-8 neurosetae. Ventral cirri delicate, elongate, arising in middle of neuropodia, not extending beyond distal tip of neuropodia. Notopodia stout, with tuft of faintly iridescent, mud- covered, capillary notosetae, not extending past neurosetae and not forming conspicuous lateral fringe. Notosetae golden brown, tapering to hooked tips, shafts smooth or finely tuberculated with fine hairs attached occurring in 2 fascicles: lateral one with greater than 10, short, straight notosetae which fan posteriorly, tips only emergent from felt; inner one with 5-8 notosetae, long, curving over dorsum and entangled amongst felt, covering three-quarters dorsum. Dorsal cirri blunt tipped, one-third length of longer notosetae.

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Synonyms:-

Aphrodite talpa Quatrefages, 1866

References:-

Fauchald, K. (2014). Aphrodita talpa Quatrefages, 1866. In: Read,
G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2014) World Polychaeta database. Accessed through:
World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?
p=taxdetails&id=326515 on 2015­01­22

Hutchings, Pat A., & McRae, Jane, 1993. The Aphroditidae (Polychaeta) from Australia, together with a redescription of the Aphroditidae collected during the Siboga Expedition. Records of the Australian Museum 45(3): 279–363.