Cirratulid polychaetes in Norwegian waters: A museum based approach to species diversity and distribution

Annelida, or segmented worms, is a vast and diverse group of metazoans of over 20 000 species that includes, amongst others, earthworms, leeches, echiurids, sipunculids and polychaetes. The polychaete family Cirratulidae is one of the most species-rich and common in marine benthic assemblages in a variety of habitats. However, it is also poorly known. We aim to use the extensive collections accumulated over the years in the Norwegian natural history museums to assess the diversity of the group in Norwegian waters and map them at a fine scale over a very large geographic area, from the Skagerrak to Svalbard, and from coastal intertidal waters to the abyssal plains of the deep North-East Atlantic. We will also evaluate and assess diagnostic features within the family, to describe new species and produce resources for species identification.