Dean, Harlan K. (1992). A new arabellid polychaete living in the mantle cavity of deep-sea wood boring bivalves (family Pholadidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 105(2): 224-232.
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Dean, Harlan K.
1992
A new arabellid polychaete living in the mantle cavity of deep-sea wood boring bivalves (family Pholadidae)
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington
A new species of polychaete, Pholadiphila turnerae (Family Arabellidae), is described from the mantle cavity of two species of wood boring bivalves (Family Pholadidae, Subfamily Xylophagainae). This is the first reported association between an arabellid polychaete and a mollusk. This species shows reductions in jaw structure and setal development similar to the reductions observed in many endoparasitic arabellids. The jaw apparatus consists of three pair of maxillae, a short, slender maxillary carrier, and well-developed mandibles. Setae are of three types: acuminate, capillary and spinous. Ecological aspects of commensal/parasitic polychaetes living in a bivalve mantle cavity are discussed.