Deep-Sea taxon details
Sigalion Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832
129594 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:129594)
accepted
Genus
Sigalion mathildae Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832 (type by monotypy)
Thalenessa Baird, 1866 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
- Species Sigalion mathildae Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832
- Species Sigalion spinosus (Hartman, 1939)
- Species Sigalion squamosus Delle Chiaje, 1830
- Species Sigalion orientalis Imajima, 2009 (uncertain > nomen dubium, unreplaced junior primary homonym to S. orientalis Wehe, 2007)
- Species Sigalion squamatum [auct misspelling of squamosum] accepted as Sigalion squamosus Delle Chiaje, 1830 (misspelling by Claparede, 1868)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
masculine
Audouin, J.V. and Milne Edwards, H. (1832). [Part 1] Classification des Annélides et description de celles qui habitent les côtes de la France. <em>Annales des sciences naturelles, Paris.</em> Sér. 1, 27: 337-447., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6062037
page(s): 438, 441, plate 9, figures 1-10; note: for Sigalion mathildae [details]
Cuvier, G. (1830). Le règne animal distingué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. [The animal kingdom distinguished according to its organization, to serve as a basis for the natural history of animals and as an introduction to comparative anatomy]. <em>Paris: Déterville & Crochard.</em> Nouvelle édition 2, Vol. 3: 1-504, pls. 1-20., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33372853
page(s): 207; note: lacks a valid species name (Code12.2.5) [details]
page(s): 438, 441, plate 9, figures 1-10; note: for Sigalion mathildae [details]
Cuvier, G. (1830). Le règne animal distingué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. [The animal kingdom distinguished according to its organization, to serve as a basis for the natural history of animals and as an introduction to comparative anatomy]. <em>Paris: Déterville & Crochard.</em> Nouvelle édition 2, Vol. 3: 1-504, pls. 1-20., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33372853
page(s): 207; note: lacks a valid species name (Code12.2.5) [details]
Note Type species S. Mathildae Audouin and Milne...
From editor or global species database
Type species Type species S. Mathildae Audouin and Milne Edwards is mentioned only as a footnote in Cuvier (1830), without description (so a nomen nudum), referring to "Aud. et Edw., Littor. de la France" which work did not appear until 1834. The actual first description was published in another Audouin & Milne Edwards work in 1832 in 'Annales des sciences naturelles" [details]
Etymology According to Mackie & Chambers (1990:52) "Several authors have treated Sigalion as neuter, but Sigalion is a Greek name for...
Etymology According to Mackie & Chambers (1990:52) "Several authors have treated Sigalion as neuter, but Sigalion is a Greek name for the Egyptian god of silence, more commonly known as Harpocrates, and is of masculine gender (Lewis & Short 1879). This is clearly indicated by the words (" … aut tua Sigalion Aegyptius oscula signet . . .") of the poet Ausonius …" Much earlier Johnston (1865: 123) explained this in a footnote: "Sigalion is a name of Harpocrates, the companion of Aesculapius and Hygeia, by whom physicians were obliged to swear [an oath]"
[details]
[details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Sigalion Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832. Accessed through: Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2025) World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS) at: https://marinespecies.org/deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129594 on 2026-05-15
Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2026). World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS). Sigalion Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1832. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129594 on 2026-05-15
Date
action
by
original description
Audouin, J.V. and Milne Edwards, H. (1832). [Part 1] Classification des Annélides et description de celles qui habitent les côtes de la France. <em>Annales des sciences naturelles, Paris.</em> Sér. 1, 27: 337-447., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6062037
page(s): 438, 441, plate 9, figures 1-10; note: for Sigalion mathildae [details]
original description (of Thalenessa Baird, 1866) Baird, William. (1866). Contributions to a monograph of the <i>Aphroditacea</i>. (Continued from vol. viii. p. 202.). <em>The Journal of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology.</em> 9(33): 31-38., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31753128
page(s): 34; note: Erected for Sigalion edwardsi Kinberg, River Plate, S America [details]
taxonomy source Wehe, T. (2007). Revision of the scale worms (Polychaeta:Aphroditoidea) occurring in the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Part II: Sigalionidae. <em>Fauna of Arabia.</em> 23: 41–124. [details] Available for editors
taxonomy source Mackie, Andrew S. Y.; Chambers, Susan J. (1990). Revision of the type species of Sigalion, Thalenessa and Eusigalion (Polychaeta: Sigalionidae). <em>Zoologica Scripta.</em> 19(1): 39-56., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1990.tb00239.x [details] Available for editors
basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Day, J. H. (1967). [Errantia] A monograph on the Polychaeta of Southern Africa. Part 1. Errantia. British Museum (Natural History), London. pp. vi, 1–458, xxix., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/8596 [details]
additional source Fauchald, K. (1977). The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. <em>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, CA (USA), Science Series.</em> 28:1-188., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/123110.pdf [details]
original description (unavailable nomenclaturally) Cuvier, G. (1830). Le règne animal distingué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. [The animal kingdom distinguished according to its organization, to serve as a basis for the natural history of animals and as an introduction to comparative anatomy]. <em>Paris: Déterville & Crochard.</em> Nouvelle édition 2, Vol. 3: 1-504, pls. 1-20., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33372853
page(s): 207; note: lacks a valid species name (Code12.2.5) [details]
page(s): 438, 441, plate 9, figures 1-10; note: for Sigalion mathildae [details]
original description (of Thalenessa Baird, 1866) Baird, William. (1866). Contributions to a monograph of the <i>Aphroditacea</i>. (Continued from vol. viii. p. 202.). <em>The Journal of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology.</em> 9(33): 31-38., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31753128
page(s): 34; note: Erected for Sigalion edwardsi Kinberg, River Plate, S America [details]
taxonomy source Wehe, T. (2007). Revision of the scale worms (Polychaeta:Aphroditoidea) occurring in the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Part II: Sigalionidae. <em>Fauna of Arabia.</em> 23: 41–124. [details] Available for editors
taxonomy source Mackie, Andrew S. Y.; Chambers, Susan J. (1990). Revision of the type species of Sigalion, Thalenessa and Eusigalion (Polychaeta: Sigalionidae). <em>Zoologica Scripta.</em> 19(1): 39-56., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1990.tb00239.x [details] Available for editors
basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Day, J. H. (1967). [Errantia] A monograph on the Polychaeta of Southern Africa. Part 1. Errantia. British Museum (Natural History), London. pp. vi, 1–458, xxix., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/8596 [details]
additional source Fauchald, K. (1977). The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. <em>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, CA (USA), Science Series.</em> 28:1-188., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/123110.pdf [details]
original description (unavailable nomenclaturally) Cuvier, G. (1830). Le règne animal distingué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. [The animal kingdom distinguished according to its organization, to serve as a basis for the natural history of animals and as an introduction to comparative anatomy]. <em>Paris: Déterville & Crochard.</em> Nouvelle édition 2, Vol. 3: 1-504, pls. 1-20., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33372853
page(s): 207; note: lacks a valid species name (Code12.2.5) [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Etymology According to Mackie & Chambers (1990:52) "Several authors have treated Sigalion as neuter, but Sigalion is a Greek name for the Egyptian god of silence, more commonly known as Harpocrates, and is of masculine gender (Lewis & Short 1879). This is clearly indicated by the words (" … aut tua Sigalion Aegyptius oscula signet . . .") of the poet Ausonius …" Much earlier Johnston (1865: 123) explained this in a footnote: "Sigalion is a name of Harpocrates, the companion of Aesculapius and Hygeia, by whom physicians were obliged to swear [an oath]" [details]
Grammatical gender masculine (fide Mackie & Chambers, 1990) [details]
Publication date A description of Sigalion was not published until 1832. However Cuvier (1830) prematurely published the name. The total content of his definition is this: "Les Sigalions, Aud. et Mil n. Edw., sont d'une forme bien plus alonge que les autres aphrodites; ils ont des cirrhes tous les pieds" He also refers (name only) to Sigalion Mathildae in a footnote, but as Audouin & Milne Edwards work was not published for another two years, this cannot validate Cuvier's nomen nudum species name usage by indication. Code article 12.2.5 requires an available species name for a new genus name. Mackie & Chambers (1990: 39-40) introduced the use of Cuvier, 1830 for the genus authority, but earlier workers had used the 1832 publication of Audouin & Milne Edwards, and this seems to be the correct decision under the Code. [details]
Type species Type species S. Mathildae Audouin and Milne Edwards is mentioned only as a footnote in Cuvier (1830), without description (so a nomen nudum), referring to "Aud. et Edw., Littor. de la France" which work did not appear until 1834. The actual first description was published in another Audouin & Milne Edwards work in 1832 in 'Annales des sciences naturelles" [details]
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Sigalion)
To Genbank
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 095766)
To ITIS
To Genbank
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 095766)
To ITIS
Unreviewed
Hosted externally
Image from typetaxon
