Revision of the Goniadidae
(Annelida, Polychaeta)
By Markus Boggemann
December 2005
Goecke & Evers
ISBN: 3937783105 
354 pages, Illustrated, 7” x 9 ¾”
$225.00 Hardcover
The Annelida are one of the most successful ‘phyla’. Since they diversified in the Cambrian, understanding of their early evolutionary history is paramount to explaining the evolution of animal life. However, phylogenetic relationships within the Annelida are still unresolved. The application of many taxa for phylogeny has particularly been restricted by the need for taxonomic revision. The serious gap in our knowledge about the Glyceriformia – a homogenous part of the Polychaeta – is filled by the present work.
This monograph is the second volume on the Glyceriformia and is entirely devoted to the Goniadidae. Representatives of this group are important, widely distributed marine endopsammal benthic predators and occur from the intertidal to abyssal depths. The present work comprises the first revision of all Goniadidae distributed worldwide.
Under the application of light and scanning microscopy all available types and numerous additional specimens are examined. Extensively illustrated throughout with original line drawings, distribution maps and SEM photographs, the present monograph provides taxonomic keys to the eight valid genera and the 63 valid species, nine of which are described as new. The comprehensive treatment of the anatomy, biology, ecology, history, morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy and zoogeography of the Goniadidae makes this a truly encyclopedic work. As such, it is of worldwide relevance to specialists and ecologists alike.
Marine Biology
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