Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help
Researched by | Morvan Barnes | Refereed by | Admin |
Authority | Selys-Lonchamps, 1903 | ||
Other common names | - | Synonyms | - |
The horseshoe worm Phoronis muelleri is elongated and worm- shaped. The mouth is surrounded by a characteristic horseshoe shaped arangement of tentacles known as the lophophore. Phoronis muelleri can be up to 12 cm in length but less than 1 mm in width. The body is a pinkish colour and the lophophore is transparent, sometimes with spots. The lophophore of Phoronis muelleri sometimes has medially turned ends and the numerous tentacles are notably shorter near the mouth but may reach up to 2 mm in length.
Phoronida have a characteristic ciliated and free-swimming pelagic larva, known as Actinotrocha. Separate names for larval and adult forms may still be used in taxonomy (Emig, 1979).
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Emig C.C., Çinar M.E. & Ergen, Z., 2003. Phoronida from the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 44, 185-190.
Emig, C.C., 1979. British and other phoronids. London, Academic Press
Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.]
Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, 2018. Ulster Museum Marine Surveys of Northern Ireland Coastal Waters. Occurrence dataset https://www.nmni.com/CEDaR/CEDaR-Centre-for-Environmental-Data-and-Recording.aspx accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-25.
Environmental Records Information Centre North East, 2018. ERIC NE Combined dataset to 2017. Occurrence dataset: http://www.ericnortheast.org.ukl accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-38
NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.
OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), 2023. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2023-03-29
This review can be cited as:
Last Updated: 03/04/2008