Contains 67 original papers by nearly 100 of the world’s leading specialists. Together with abstracts and literature references for 37 presentations not represented by papers, this volume provides complete coverage of the Conference and a comprehensive overview of modern research on the polychaete annelids, one of the most important groups of marine invertebrates and constituents of marine benthos. Taxonomic and subject indices of all papers and abstracts provide ready access to the contained information. Richly illustrated, this book is provided with numerous line drawings, and photomicrographs, electron micrographs. Over 60 taxa are newly described or reassigned, and detailed reviews, revisions or redescriptions are provided for five families, one subfamily and numerous genera and species, with many illustrations of new and redescribed taxa and a pictorial key to the maglonids of Thailand.

Contains 67 original papers by nearly 100 of the world's leading specialists. Together with abstracts and literature references for 37 presentations not represented by papers, this volume provides complete coverage of the Conference and a comprehensive overview of modern research on the polychaete annelids, one of the most important groups of marine invertebrates and constituents of marine benthos. Taxonomic and subject indices of all papers and abstracts provide ready access to the contained information. Richly illustrated, this book is provided with numerous line drawings, and photomicrographs, electron micrographs. Over 60 taxa are newly described or reassigned, and detailed reviews, revisions or redescriptions are provided for five families, one subfamily and numerous genera and species, with many illustrations of new and redescribed taxa and a pictorial key to the maglonids of Thailand.

In this Special Issue, we address the state of the art of the systematics of the main annelid groups and the improvements in the diversity they hold, with special emphasis on the latest discoveries in well-studied areas, expeditions to unsurveyed areas or environments, or the use of novel techniques that allow for the improvement of biodiversity knowledge. We are hoping that this Special Issue will provide a platform facilitating a review of current knowledge on the subject, identifying current research problems, as well as indicating directions and research trends for the future.

This book is the second volume in a series of 4 volumes in the Handbook of Zoology series treating morphology, anatomy, reproduction, development, ecology, phylogeny, systematics and taxonomy of polychaetous Annelida. In this volume a comprehensive review of a few more derived higher taxa within Sedentaria are given, namely Sabellida, Opheliida/Capitellida as well as Hrabeiellidae. The former comprise annelids possessing a body divided into two more or less distinct regions or tagmata called thorax and abdomen. Here two groups of families are united, the spioniform and sabelliform polychaetes. Especially Spionidae and Sabellidae are speciose families within this group and represent two of the largest annelid families. These animals live in various types of burrows or tubes and all possess so-called feeding palps. In one group these appendages are differentiated as grooved feeding palps, whereas in the other they may form highly elaborated circular tentacular crowns comprising a number of radioles mostly giving off numerous filamentous pinnulae. Often additionally colourful, the latter are also received the common names "feather-duster worms", "flowers of the sea", "Christmas-tree worms". Opheliida/Capitellida including five families of truly worm-like annelids without appendages represents the contrary. Their members burrow in soft bottom substrates and may be classified as non-selective deposit feeders. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that Echiura or spoon worms, formerly regarded to represent a separate phylum, are members of this group. Last not least Hrabeiellidae is one out of only two families of oligochaete-like terrestrial polychaetes and for this reason received strong scientific interest.

A comprehensive account of Polychaetes in Australia. Based on nearly 2400 references, the authors reveal the wealth of diversity in the largely unknown world of these worm groups, in terms of their morphology, behaviour, reproduction and significance in marine ecosystems.