Australonuphis information

Australonuphis
	Australian beach worms in a bucket
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Clade:	Pleistoannelida
Subclass:	Errantia
Order:	Eunicida
Family:	Onuphidae
Genus:	Australonuphis
Species
	A. casamiquelorum; ; A. hartmanae; A. mariahirsuta; A. parateres; A. teres;

Australonuphis, commonly called Australian beach worms, are a genus of polychaetous annelid of the family Onuphidae that inhabit the intertidal zone of coastal beaches and are attracted to the surface by the stimulus of food. They are sought by anglers to be used as bait for fishing. Some species can grow more than two metres in length.^[1]^[2] They are blind but have a very good sense of smell, and eat decaying meat, fish and seaweeds that have washed to shore.^[3]

Originally identified as a single species in 1868 (Diopatra teres), in 1878 they were placed in the genus Onuphis.^[4] A study in 1979 renamed two Americonuphis species as Australonuphis (A. teres and A. parateres), both being found in New South Wales.^[4] A novel species from the Ecuadorian coast was identified in 2008.^[5]

Australian beach worms occur in millions on many surf beaches from Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.^[6] They are highly valued as bait by anglers because of their great length and muscular body.^[7] The worms can be collected from the sandy beach by attracting them to the surface with bait and subsequently extracting them from the sand by hand or with the aid of pliers.^[8]

^ Hartman, O (1967). "Larval development of benthic invertebrates in Antarctic seas: early development of Nothria notialis (Monro) and Paronuphis antarctica (Monro) in Bransfield Strait, Antarctic Peninsula". Proc. Symp. Pacific-Antarctic Sci. Tokyo, JARE Scient. Rep. 1: 205–8.
^ "Giant Beach Worm". The Australian Museum. December 14, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
^ Rozbaczylo, N; Castilla, J C (1981). "Australonuphis-Violacea New-Species A New Polychaete Onuphidae From The Southeast Pacific Ocean". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 94: 761–770. ISSN 0006-324X.
^ ^a ^b Paxton, H. (1979). "Taxonomy and aspects of the life history of Australian beachworms (Polychaeta: Onuphidae)". Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 30 (2): 265–294. doi:10.1071/MF9790265 – via CSIRO.
^ De Leon, Angel; Rodriguez, Maryherminia; Degraer, Steven (August 1, 2008). "A new species of Australonuphis (Polychaeta: Onuphidae) from the eastern Pacific". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. 88 (4): 739–742. Bibcode:2008JMBUK..88..739D. doi:10.1017/S0025315408001252. S2CID 85087923.
^ Dakin, W. J.; Bennett, I.; Pope, E. C. (1952). Australian Seashores. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. p. 372.
^ "Beach Worm". www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. April 26, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
^ "How to catch Beach Worm for bait - Video resources and tools all you need". Fishing Australia. Retrieved February 9, 2020.

[1] Hartman, O (1967). "Larval development of benthic invertebrates in Antarctic seas: early development of Nothria notialis (Monro) and Paronuphis antarctica (Monro) in Bransfield Strait, Antarctic Peninsula". Proc. Symp. Pacific-Antarctic Sci. Tokyo, JARE Scient. Rep. 1: 205–8.

[2] "Giant Beach Worm". The Australian Museum. December 14, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.

[3] Rozbaczylo, N; Castilla, J C (1981). "Australonuphis-Violacea New-Species A New Polychaete Onuphidae From The Southeast Pacific Ocean". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 94: 761–770. ISSN 0006-324X.

[Paxton-4] Paxton, H. (1979). "Taxonomy and aspects of the life history of Australian beachworms (Polychaeta: Onuphidae)". Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 30 (2): 265–294. doi:10.1071/MF9790265 – via CSIRO.

[:0-5] De Leon, Angel; Rodriguez, Maryherminia; Degraer, Steven (August 1, 2008). "A new species of Australonuphis (Polychaeta: Onuphidae) from the eastern Pacific". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. 88 (4): 739–742. Bibcode:2008JMBUK..88..739D. doi:10.1017/S0025315408001252. S2CID 85087923.

[6] Dakin, W. J.; Bennett, I.; Pope, E. C. (1952). Australian Seashores. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. p. 372.

[7] "Beach Worm". www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. April 26, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2020.

[8] "How to catch Beach Worm for bait - Video resources and tools all you need". Fishing Australia. Retrieved February 9, 2020.