Alitta virens (common names include sandworm, sea worm, and king ragworm; older scientific names, including Nereis virens, are still frequently used) is an annelid worm that burrows in wet sand and mud.

It is wrong to use the construction of "Alitta (Nereis) virens". This is because “Nereis” is the name of a very well-known valid genus with hundreds of species, whereas Alitta is a more recent obscure genus which has a only a handful of species.

Apr 23, 2019 · The polychaete clam worm species Nereis virens, also known by the scientific name Alitta virens, has 4 to 5 pairs of tentacular cirri (the antenna-like appendages on its head), 1 pair of short blunt palps (sensory appendages near the mouth) and four eyes. It also has two pincer like jaws that are capable of delivering a painful bite if handled.

Nereis virens , the ragworm, clamworm, or sandworm, is a large species that may reach almost a meter in length but is usually considerably smaller, around 20-40 cm. It is a shallow-water, marine, benthic species occurring from the shoreline to depths of about 150 m.

Alitta virens and Alitta brandti (= Neanthes brandti) are very closely related, overlapping in geographic range, and similar in appearance, separated in keys only by the arrangement and number of paragnaths, a feature that has been shown to be variable within A. …

Mar 12, 2025 · Alitta virens (common names include sandworm and king ragworm; older scientific names including Nereis virens are still frequently used) is an annelid worm that burrows in wet sand and mud. It is classified as a polychaete in the family Nereididae.

Nereis or Neanthes is a marine polychaete annelid that lives in burrows in sea bottom and comes out in night to prey upon small animals. N. virens (Sandworm), N. pelagica (Type-species) and N. succinea (Clam worm) are common species of Nereis.

Believed to be named after the name of the nymphs in Greek mythology. The Nereids (Greek: Νηρηΐδες Nereides, sg. Νηρηΐς Nereis) are sea nymphs, female spirits of sea waters, the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris [source: Wikipedia] Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2024). World Polychaeta Database. Nereis Linnaeus, 1758.

Nov 20, 2019 · This datasheet on Nereis virens covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Uses, Management, Genetics and Breeding, Further Information.

Alitta virens (common names include sandworm and king ragworm; older scientific names including Nereis virens are still frequently used) is an annelid worm that burrows in wet sand and mud. It is classified as a polychaete in the family Nereididae .