Pocklington, Patricia. (1989). Polychaetes of eastern Canada. An illustrated key to polychaetes of eastern Canada including the eastern Arctic. [Unpublished report]. 1-274, prepared by Arenicola Marine Limited, Nova Scotia, for Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada.
3036
Pocklington, Patricia
1989
Polychaetes of eastern Canada. An illustrated key to polychaetes of eastern Canada including the eastern Arctic
[Unpublished report]
1-274, prepared by Arenicola Marine Limited, Nova Scotia, for Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Publication
Annelidabase
Available for editors
[Introduction] Polychaetes are an important component of the benthos. They are frequently the dominant taxa encountered in benthic samples. Recently it has been shown that they are reliable indicators of pollution, and of the various stages of recovery after pollution abatement, with the caveat that such information is valid only if correct identifications have been made. The identification of polychaetes found in the waters around eastern Canada has been a difficult task not only because our waters encompass several zoogeographic zones, but also because - apart from Whiteaves 1901 and Treadwell 1948 - the polychaetes of eastern Canada have largely been. ignored. As there are no comprehensive accounts of the polychaetes of eastern Canada, we have had to rely heavily on taxonomic works produced outside the country, a substantial library of which must be accumulated in order to identify these animals with any confidence. It is hoped that this guide to the polychaetes of eastern Canada will redress this problem. The guide is largely a compilation of many of the taxonomic works I have routinely consulted when identifying polychaetes. I have borrowed freely from such classic works as Malmgren 1866, 1867, Fauvel 1923, 1927; Hartman 1948, Wesenberg-Lund 1948, 1950, Uschakov 1955, Pettibone 1963, Fauchald 1977, and recent works such as Blake 1971, Maciolek 1983, Holthe 1986 and Strelzov 1973. This review of polychaetes of eastern Canada is based on existing collections of polychaetes held by museums, universities, government laboratories and consul ting companies. Most of the collections were examined by me personally between 1981 and 1988. It also includes records of species published in the scientific literature, listed in technical reports and theses, as well as lists provided by individuals from their personal research. The result is a list of 365 polychaetes. Of the 365 species listed, 3 new genera (Axiokebuita, Minusdulisquama, Paragyptis) and 4 new species (A. millsi Pocklington and Fournier 1987, M. hughesi Pettibone 1984, P. margaretae Pocklington 1984, Branchiomaldane labradorensis Fournier and Barrie 1987) are newly reported from the study area, as are ten species previously known from Europe. several other new species have been encountered and will be described later. Zoogeographic boundaries for many species have been extended, especially for species known only from deep water, as until recently, there has been a paucity of sampling from slope depths off eastern Canada. Thirty-four species have had their zoogeographic boundaries extended northward, while 13 species have had their zoogeographic boundaries moved southward.
America, North
Fauna and Flora, Faunistic inventories, Checklists, Catalogues
Identification key, Expert Identification Systems
Systematics, Taxonomy
