Biodiv Sci ›› 2018, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (9): 998-1003.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2018093

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Taxonomy at order and family levels of the benthic groups of Polychaeta in the coastal waters of China

Meiling Ge1, Qinzeng Xu1,2, Shiliang Fan1, Zongxing Wang1, Xuelei Zhang1,2,*()   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Science and Engineering for Marine Ecology and Environment, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao, Shandong 266061
    2 Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Marine Ecology and Environmental Science Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266071
  • Received:2018-03-30 Accepted:2018-08-11 Online:2018-09-20 Published:2019-01-05
  • Contact: Zhang Xuelei
  • About author:# Co-first authors

Abstract:

Polychaeta is an important class of annelids and has important economic and ecological significance. The classification system of Polychaeta is being restructured and has undergone many changes. Based on previous results of cladistics analysis and volumes of Fauna Sinica, we collated keys to the orders and families of benthic groups of Polychaeta from the coastal waters of China. Referring to Rouse & Fauchald (1997) system, we sorted these benthic groups of Polychaeta into six orders, Scolecida, Spionida, Terebellida, Sabellida, Phyllodocida and Eunicida. We used existing work to compile the keys for the six orders and their constituent families. Finally, we reviewed domestic studies of coastal polychaetes and discussed the contribution of molecular studies to the development of Polychaeta phylogeny.

Key words: Polychaeta, benthos, identification key, phylogeny