Lumbrinerids are long thin burrowing polychaetes found mostly in sediments, living in burrows, which can extend some distance below the surface in sand. When sand is being dug over lumbrinerids can appear to resemble long thin threads. Lumbrinerids have jaws and thought to be omnivores or selective deposit feeders.
The shape of the prostomium gives an obvious character, whether globular, conical or longer than wide. Internal jaws consist of several elements called maxillary plates and the shape and number of teeth edging these plates provide useful characters. The shape of the parapodia and the presence of branchiae are important features: all lumbrinerids have subbiramous parapodia with the notopodia being represented by an internal aciculae, neuropodia have both pre and post chaetal lobes with the post being longer and more obvious. The form of the chaetae and their position on the body are also important generic and species level characters; chaetae may be limbate capillaries, hooded hooks which may be simple or compound.
Lumbrinerids can be superificially mistaken for species of Oenonidae from which they mainly differ in the shape of the internal jaw structures.
| Lumbrineris sp. 1 |
