Biodiversity & Conservation

A coastal centipede - Strigamia maritima - General information

Strigamia maritima

Image Steve Trewhella - The centipede Strigamia maritima. Image width ca 5 cm.
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Distribution map

Strigamia maritima recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Strigamia maritima is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Morvan Barnes Text page icon Refereed by:

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods, joint-legged animals, e.g. insects, crustaceans & spiders
Class Chilopoda Centipedes
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Recorded off the south-west coasts of England and the west coasts of Scotland. Possibly under recorded.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Strigamia maritima is a littoral and supralittoral species found in a variety of coastal habitats.
Text page icon Description Strigamia maritima is a centipede, its worm-like body is divided into a head and a trunk. The trunk is subdivided into segments, all but two of which have a pair of walking legs. Segment number may vary between Strigamia maritima individuals. The first pair of modified legs are poison claws on the head. The last pair are strong and brightly coloured and used in display. It has two pairs of antennae coming off the head region.

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Strigamia maritima. A coastal centipede. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 03/09/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=4393>