Morphometric study of Phragmatopoma caudata (Polychaeta: Sabellida: Sabellariidae)

The sabellariid Phragmatopoma caudata (Kroyer, 1856), Morch, 1863 is widely distributed in the Americas and constructs large reef agglomerates that provide substrates for other benthic species. However, the difficulty in obtaining size data (especially length) hampers population studies, making it necessary to carry out morphometric studies as basis for studies of population dynamics. The objective of the present study is to determine the best morphological descriptor of length in P. caudata. A total of 17 morphometric variables were measured in specimens from four different populations. Measu...