Myxicola Koch ex Renier 1847

A view of the animal partly retracted into its slime tube

When removed from the tube, this individual is about 6 cm total length. Note that the animal has immediately begun to produce a new mass of mucus around itself.

The radioles of this species are united through much of their length into a distinctive funnel.

The thorax has 8 segments, the first 5 or 6 of which (at least) have long-handled uncini and no pickaxe-shaped setae.

The abdominal uncini form rows that go nearly all the way around the animal.

A colony of Myxicola infundibulum on the side of a dock. The colony is about 30 cm across and each funnel-like set of radioles is about 2.5-3 cm across. The entire colony is a ball of mucus that remains when the animals withdraw rapidly into their slime tubes. (Photo by: Dave Cowles, July 2014)