(ofTubularia spallanzanii Gmelin, 1791)Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Vermes. In: Gmelin J.F. (Ed.) Caroli a Linnaei Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Ed. 13. Tome 1(6). G.E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. <em>Systema Naturae. Linneaeus (ed.). Ed. 13.</em> 1: pars. 6., available online athttp://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 page(s): 3834 [details]
Distribution Knight-Jones & Perkins (1998) placed Sabella gracillima Kinberg, 1867 from Rio de Janeiro, and four names in Spirographis...
Distribution Knight-Jones & Perkins (1998) placed Sabella gracillima Kinberg, 1867 from Rio de Janeiro, and four names in Spirographis erected by Hansen, one from Rio, and a further species, Spirographis braziliensis Treadwell, 1932, all as synonyms of Sabella spallanzanii. It is not clear if they examined the types. So, apparently Sabella spallanzanii did occur around Rio de Janeiro in the mid 19th C. There are no modern reports, which seems unusual with such a conspicuous worm unless the population has died out. [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=130969 on 2025-07-14
original description(ofAmphitrite ventilabrum Gmelin, 1791 in Linnaeus)Linnaeus, C. (1788). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characteristic differences, synonyms, and places.]. <em>Editio decima tertia, aucta reformata. Cura J.F. Gmelin. G.E. Beer, Lipsiae.</em> 1(5-6):2225-3909., available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2896589 note: Knight-Jones uses 1791 for the part 6 volume [details]
original description(ofSabella unispira Cuvier, 1816)Cuvier, G. (1816). Le Règne Animal distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. Tome II, contenant les reptiles, les poissons, les mollusques et les annélides. Deterville, Paris, pp. i-xviii, 1-532 [pls. 9-10 contained in volume 4]. , available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1848835 page(s): 519; note: new name for Spirographis spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791) sensu Viviani, 1805 [details]
original description(ofSpirographis gracilis Hansen, 1882)Hansen, A. (1882). Recherches sur les annélides recueillies par M. le professeur Édouard van Benedon pendant son voyage au Brésil et à la Plata. <em>Mémoires Couronnes et Mémoires des Savants Etrangers publiés par L'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.</em> 44(3): 1-29., available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5943290 page(s): 21, plate VII figs. 6-8 [details]
original description(ofSpirographis imperialis Hansen, 1882)Hansen, A. (1882). Recherches sur les annélides recueillies par M. le professeur Édouard van Benedon pendant son voyage au Brésil et à la Plata. <em>Mémoires Couronnes et Mémoires des Savants Etrangers publiés par L'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.</em> 44(3): 1-29., available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5943290 page(s): 21-22, plate VII figs. 9-12 [details]
original description(ofSerpula penicillus Linnaeus, 1758)Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online athttps://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 page(s): 788 [details] Available for editors [request]
original description(ofTubularia spallanzanii Gmelin, 1791)Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Vermes. In: Gmelin J.F. (Ed.) Caroli a Linnaei Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Ed. 13. Tome 1(6). G.E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. <em>Systema Naturae. Linneaeus (ed.). Ed. 13.</em> 1: pars. 6., available online athttp://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 page(s): 3834 [details]
Taxonomy
redescriptionKnight-Jones, Phyllis; Perkins, Thomas H. (1998). A revision of Sabella, Bispira and Stylomma (Polychaeta: Sabellidae). <em>Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, London.</em> 123: 385-467., available online athttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1998.tb01370.x note: includes analysis of the status of competing names [details] Available for editors [request]
Ecology
ecology sourceRead, G. B.; Inglis, G.; Stratford, P.; Ahyong, S. T. (2011). Arrival of the alien fanworm Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791) (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) in two New Zealand harbours. <em>Aquatic Invasions.</em> 6(3): 273-279., available online athttp://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2011/AI_2011_6_3_Read_etal.pdf[details]
additional sourceBellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional sourceFattorini, Daniele and Regoli, Francesco 2006. Arsenic speciation in tissues of the Mediterranean Polychaete Sabella spallanzanii. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 23(8):1881-1887[details]
additional sourceWilson, R.S.; Hutchings, P.A. and Glasby, C.J. (eds) 2003. List of Polychaete species introduced to Australia. Polychaetes: An Interactive Identification Guide. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne[details]
additional sourceBrine, O.; Hunt, L.; Costello, M. J. (2013). Marine biofouling on recreational boats on swing moorings and berths. <em>Management of Biological Invasions.</em> 4(4): 327-341., available online athttps://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2013.4.4.07[details] Available for editors [request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Diagnosis The original description as Tubularia spallanzanii Gmelin 1791 is as follows: "Cirris quinis plumosis utrinque pectinatis, tubulo cylindrico corneo inferne incurvo [= Five feathery circles combed on each side, with a horny cylindrical tube incurved below.]. Müller's 1776 brief diagnosis of Tubularia penicillus is closely similar to this later diagnosis for Serpula penicillus in Gmelin. [details] Distribution Knight-Jones & Perkins (1998) placed Sabella gracillima Kinberg, 1867 from Rio de Janeiro, and four names in Spirographis erected by Hansen, one from Rio, and a further species, Spirographis braziliensis Treadwell, 1932, all as synonyms of Sabella spallanzanii. It is not clear if they examined the types. So, apparently Sabella spallanzanii did occur around Rio de Janeiro in the mid 19th C. There are no modern reports, which seems unusual with such a conspicuous worm unless the population has died out. [details] Synonymy It is obvious strict priority is not being observed here. Synonymies of "spallanzanii" usages are very complex and resolving them in WoRMS is not yet complete. Please see Knight-Jones and Perkins (1998) for full background. Those authors designated a single neotype for the four names Tubularia spallanzanii Gmelin, Serpula penicillus Linnaeus, Teredo melitensis Bergius, and Amphitrite ventilabrum Gmelin, the last three of which they placed junior to Tubularia spallanzanii [now Sabella spallanzanii] to stabilise the well-known name. An application to ICZN to confirm this was proposed, but did not occur. They intended to "to ask the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature to use its plenary powers to stabilize the current specific name of the well-known species Sabella spallanzanii by suppressing Serpula penicillus, Teredo melitensis Bergius, and Amphitrite ventilabrum Gmelin, its early synonyms". Strictly Sabella penicillus should remain the valid name. If 'penicillus', as Latin diminutive for painter's brush, is treated as a noun in apposition, its suffix is not changed. [details] Type designation Neotype, designated Knight-Jones & Perkins (1998), Natural History Museum London, NHM 1929.12.23.1, collected Malta, exact location unknown, by B. Grey [details]
From regional or thematic species database
Introduced species impact in Australian part of the Bass Strait (Marine Region) : Other impact - undefined or uncertain [details] Introduced species management in Australian part of the Bass Strait (Marine Region) : yes [details] Introduced species management New Zealand part of the South Pacific Ocean (Marine Region) Specimens of S. spallanzanii were collected
from within the Auckland region and exposed to salinity treatments for up to 1440 min (24 h) and mortality rates were compared using LT50 i.e. number of minutes taken for 50% of worms to die. Specimens subjected to hypo-saline conditions resulted in an LT50 of 31.0 min compared to 132.0 min for hyper-saline conditions. Accordingly, hypo-saline dips have potential as an environmentally safe and cost-effective management method for maintenance of recreational vessels and other marine structures (e.g. aquaculture gear and shellfish stocks) that are heavily fouled with S. spallanzanii. [details] Introduced species management in New Zealand part of the South Pacific Ocean (Marine Region) : yes [details] Introduced species vector dispersal in Australian part of the Bass Strait (Marine Region) : Ships: accidental as attached or free-living fouling organisms [details] Introduced species vector dispersal in Australia (Nation) : Ships: accidental with ballast water, sea water systems, live wells or other deck basins [details]