Eunicidae
| Eunicidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eunice aphroditois, the type species of Eunicidae's type genus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Subclass: | Errantia |
| Order: | Eunicida |
| Family: | Eunicidae Berthold, 1827 |
| Synonyms | |
|
Euniphysidae Shen & Wu, 1991 | |
Eunicidae is a family of marine polychaetes (bristle worms), inhabiting diverse benthic habitats across Oceania, Europe, South America, North America, Asia and Africa.
One of the most conspicuous of the eunicids is the giant, dark-purple, iridescent "bobbit worm" (Eunice aphroditois), a bristle worm found at low tide under boulders on southern Australian shores. Its robust, muscular body can be as long as 2 m (6 ft 7 in). Cultural tradition surrounds the palolo worm (Palola viridis) reproductive cycles in the South Pacific Islands. Eunicidae are economically valuable as bait in both recreational and commercial fishing. Commercial bait-farming of Eunicidae can have adverse ecological impacts, as it may deplete worm and associated fauna population numbers, damaging local intertidal environments, and introduce alien species to local aquatic ecosystems.