Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Myrianida pachycera
Poliqueto, Polychaete
Myrianida pachycera is a marine polychaete which belongs to the Syllidae family. It is frequently photographed because of its bright colors and unusual appearance. It was first described from Shark Bay, Australia and is believed to be native to the Indo-Pacific. Populations in Hawaii are considered introduced and other non-native locations include California and Florida. It occurs in warm-temperate to tropical climates and can be found in a variety of habitats including rocky reefs, oyster beds, coral reefs, muddy-silty bottoms, marinas, docks and ships’ hulls. No economic or ecological impacts have been reported for this species.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Annelida
Class
Polychaeta
Order
Phyllodocida
Suborder
Nereidiformia
Family
Syllidae
Section
Autolytini
Genus
Myrianida
Species
pachycera
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Introduced - established
Year of first record: 2016
Mode of introduction: Accidental
Introduction Pathway: Stowaway
Subpathway: Ship hull
Introduced status: Naturalized
Invasive status: Under watch
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
- Carlton, J. T. Keith, I., & Ruiz, G. M. (2019) Assessing marine bioinvasions in the Galápagos islands: Implications for conservation biology and marine protected areas. Aquatic Invasions, 14(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2019.14.1.01
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Myrianida pachycera", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=18869. Accessed 4 November 2026.