Incubation and scissiparity in Sabellidae (Polychaeta)

Abstract

Incubated embryos are here recorded from the Sabellinae Amphiglena mediterranea, Potamilla neglecta and Perkinsiana antarctica , and the Fabriciinae Fabricia sabella, Fabriciola chilensis, Oriopsis alata and Oriopsis ehlersi , but incubation has not been observed in most species of Sabellinae, nor in any Myxicolinae. Natural fission (as opposed to regeneration following damage or autotomy) is also rare in Sabellidae, but a Scilly Isles tube worm identified as Sabella variabilis Langerhans, multiplies by fission from the posterior end, like the Filograninae amongst serpulids.