Morphological Variability in Eunice Vittata (Chiaje, 1828) (Polychaeta; Eunicidae) in the Ría De Ferrol (Galicia, NW Spain)

Abstract

Various morphological measurements were made on a total of 197 specimens of Eunice vittata from Ría de Ferrol (Galicia, NW Spain). For each specimen the morphological features studied were: first setiger with subacicular hooks, uniramous branchiae, and biramous branchiae; width of the 10th setiger; and, for entire specimens, preserved body length and total number of setigers. Multivariate analysis (PCA) indicates that body size explains the variability of width, length, number of setigers and first occurrence of subacicular hooks. Occurrence of biramous branchiae, while showing a correlation with other varying features, is highly variable, associated with size-independent factors. The relative growth of E. vittata is allometric. Increase in number of setigers prevails in the initial growth stages, but gradually the increase in size of existing segments contributes more and more to the increase in body size, first by the increase of segment length and finally by the increase of segment width.

Key words:

• Polychaeta
• Eunice vittata
• Morphometry
• Spain