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Polychaeta taxon details

Arenicola Lamarck, 1801

129206  (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:129206)

  1. Biota
  2. Animalia (Kingdom)
  3. Annelida (Phylum)
  4. Polychaeta (Class)
  5. Sedentaria (Subclass)
  6. Scolecida (Infraclass)
  7. Arenicolidae (Family)
  8. Arenicola (Genus)
accepted
Genus
Arenicola (Pteroscolex) Lütken, 1864 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (subjective synonym)
Chorizobranchus Quatrefages, 1866 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Clymenides Claparède, 1863 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

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  1. Species Arenicola brasiliensis Nonato, 1958
  2. Species Arenicola cristata Stimpson, 1856
  3. Species Arenicola defodiens Cadman & Nelson-Smith, 1993
  4. Species Arenicola glasselli Berkeley & Berkeley, 1939
  5. Species Arenicola loveni Kinberg, 1866
  6. Species Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758)
  7. Subgenus Arenicola (Pteroscolex) Lütken, 1864 accepted as Arenicola Lamarck, 1801 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym, subjective synonym)
    1. Species Arenicola (Pteroscolex) antillensis Lütken, 1864 accepted as Arenicola cristata Stimpson, 1856 (subjective synonym)
  8. Species Arenicola abildgaardti Castelnau, 1842 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (subjective synonym)
  9. Species Arenicola antillensis Lütken, 1864 accepted as Arenicola cristata Stimpson, 1856 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym, subjective synonym, subgenus rank in original spelling abandoned)
  10. Species Arenicola assimilis Ehlers, 1897 accepted as Abarenicola assimilis (Ehlers, 1897) (superseded original combination)
  11. Species Arenicola bobretzkii Czerniavsky, 1881 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  12. Species Arenicola boeckii Rathke, 1843 accepted as Arenicolides ecaudata (Johnston, 1835) (subjective synonym)
  13. Species Arenicola bombayensis Kewalramani, Wagh & Ranade, 1960 accepted as Arenicola cristata Stimpson, 1856
  14. Species Arenicola branchialis Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (superseded original combination)
  15. Species Arenicola bucci Hanna, 1898 accepted as Arenicolides ecaudatus (Mesnil, 1897) accepted as Arenicolides ecaudata (Johnston, 1835) (subjective synonym)
  16. Species Arenicola carbonaria Leach, 1816 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (subjective synonym)
  17. Species Arenicola caroledna Wells, 1961 accepted as Arenicola brasiliensis Nonato, 1958 (subjective synonym)
  18. Species Arenicola claparedei [auctt. misspelling] accepted as Abarenicola claparedi (Levinsen, 1884) (unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling, subsequent misspelling intended for 'claparedi)
  19. Species Arenicola claparedi Levinsen, 1884 accepted as Abarenicola claparedi (Levinsen, 1884) (superseded original combination)
  20. Species Arenicola clavata Ranzani, 1817 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (subjective synonym)
  21. Species Arenicola cyanea Czerniavsky, 1881 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  22. Species Arenicola dioscurica Czerniavsky, 1881 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833)
  23. Species Arenicola dorvilliana Leach in Johnston, 1865 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  24. Species Arenicola ecaudata Johnston, 1835 accepted as Arenicolides ecaudata (Johnston, 1835) (superseded original combination)
  25. Species Arenicola glacialis Murdoch, 1885 accepted as Arenicola marina glacialis Murdich, 1885 (superseded original combination)
  26. Species Arenicola grubii Claparède, 1868 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  27. Species Arenicola montagui Leach in Johnston, 1865 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  28. Species Arenicola natalis Girard, 1856 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (subjective synonym)
  29. Species Arenicola nodosa Leach in Johnston, 1865 accepted as Arenicolides branchialis (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833) (subjective synonym)
  30. Species Arenicola piscatorum Lamarck, 1801 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (objective synonym, unnecessary replacement name)
  31. Species Arenicola pusilla Quatrefages, 1866 accepted as Abarenicola pusilla (Quatrefages, 1866) (superseded original combination)
  32. Species Arenicola tinctoria Leach, 1816 accepted as Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (subjective synonym)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
Lamarck, J. B. de. (1801). Système des animaux sans vertèbres, ou tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animaux. <em>Published by the author and Deterville, Paris.</em> : viii + 432 pp., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14117719
page(s): 324; note: Arenicola piscatorum. as a new name for Lumbricus marinus Linnaeus [details] OpenAccess publication
Note Lamarck created an unnecessary new name of...  
From editor or global species database
Type species Lamarck created an unnecessary new name of Arenicola piscatorum, instead of recombining Lumbricus marinus into his new genus Arenicola as A. marinus. While the name A piscatorum is the only binomen Lamarck used in Arenicola, it is an objective junior synonym of Lumbricus marinus. The name of a type species should be cited by its original binomen, in this case Lumbricus marinus (Code recommendation 67B) [details]
Etymology Arenicola is Latin for sand dweller. Genus names ending in -cola (dweller) are common or variable gender nouns (masculine...  
Etymology Arenicola is Latin for sand dweller. Genus names ending in -cola (dweller) are common or variable gender nouns (masculine or feminine), and the Code has standardised (Article 30.1.4.2 examples) on treating them as masculine. However, historic practice treats Arenicola as feminine, despite the original species-group name of Linnaeus being masculine (as Lumbricus marinus). [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Arenicola Lamarck, 1801. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/polychaeta/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129206 on 2026-05-21
Date
action
by
2004-12-21 15:54:05Z
created
Bellan, Gérard
2008-03-26 11:36:43Z
changed
Fauchald, Kristian
2020-02-04 23:40:02Z
changed
Read, Geoffrey

original description Lamarck, J. B. de. (1801). Système des animaux sans vertèbres, ou tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animaux. <em>Published by the author and Deterville, Paris.</em> : viii + 432 pp., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14117719
page(s): 324; note: Arenicola piscatorum. as a new name for Lumbricus marinus Linnaeus [details] OpenAccess publication

original description (of Clymenides Claparède, 1863) Claparède, A. R. É. (1863). Beobachtungen über Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte wirbelloser Thiere: an der Küste von Normandie angestellt. [Observations on the anatomy and evolution of invertebrates: made on the coast of Normandy.]. <em>Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig.</em> 1-120, 18 plates., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/10030
page(s): 30 [details] OpenAccess publication

original description (of Arenicola (Pteroscolex) Lütken, 1864) Lütken, Christian Frederik. (1864). En ny vestindisk Sandorm, <i>Arenicola (Pteroscolex) antillensis</i> Ltk. <em>Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra den naturhistoriske Forening i Kjöbenhavn.</em> 1864(3-7): 120-122., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35852121
page(s): 121-122 [details] OpenAccess publication

original description (of Chorizobranchus Quatrefages, 1866) Quatrefages, A. (1866). Histoire naturelle des Annelés marins et d'eau douce. Annélides et Géphyriens. <b>Volume 2.</b>. Première partie. 1-336. Deuxième Partie. 337-794. Explication des planches p.1-24. planches 1-20. Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret. Paris., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=M_xNAAAAcAAJ
page(s): 267 [details] OpenAccess publication

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] 

additional source 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 NODC. (1997). NODC Taxonomic codes. [details] 
From editor or global species database
Diagnosis (Diagnosis of Wells, 1959): Arenicolidae with an achaetous tail. Prostomium small, retractile, in the form of a triangle with the rounded base anterior; with a shallow groove marking the attachment of the brain. Statocysts present, with or without a tube to the exterior. Setigers (except the first two or three) subdivided into five annuli. Gills branched, the first (which may be reduced or absent) on setiger vii. The neuropodia of the hinder branchiate segments, but not those of the more anterior segments, approach close to the mid-ventral line. One pair of oesophageal caeca, opening by separate ducts, Septa 1 pouches present. [details]

Etymology Arenicola is Latin for sand dweller. Genus names ending in -cola (dweller) are common or variable gender nouns (masculine or feminine), and the Code has standardised (Article 30.1.4.2 examples) on treating them as masculine. However, historic practice treats Arenicola as feminine, despite the original species-group name of Linnaeus being masculine (as Lumbricus marinus). [details]

Grammatical gender Feminine by prevailing usage, although this was probably wrongly adopted. The Code has a stipulation (ICZN 1999, Article 30.1.4.2) that genera with -cola endings be treated as masculine compound nouns (or mostly so treated). Lamarck added what appears to be a plural genitive of 'piscatorum' (meaning of fishermen, thus the sand-dwelling worm of fishermen) when he attempted to replace Linnaeus's L. 'marinus' with his own species name. However, subsequent usage reported by McIntosh appears to be mostly as feminine, although he misreports the endings used by some authors.(for the full examination see spelling notes for the Arenicola marina record), There would appear to be no possibility of success, or of a useful outcome, in contradicting the modern universal usage as feminine, and so Arenicola can continue to be treated as feminine. 'Arenicola marina' must have thousands of occurrences in marine biology literature, and the usage is impossible to eradicate. [details]

Type species Lamarck created an unnecessary new name of Arenicola piscatorum, instead of recombining Lumbricus marinus into his new genus Arenicola as A. marinus. While the name A piscatorum is the only binomen Lamarck used in Arenicola, it is an objective junior synonym of Lumbricus marinus. The name of a type species should be cited by its original binomen, in this case Lumbricus marinus (Code recommendation 67B) [details]
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LanguageName 
English lugworm  [details]
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Arenicola) 
To Genbank 
To ITIS
Unreviewed
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