Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Antarctic Research Series, Volume 3. This handbook, dealing with the Polychaeta Errantia of the Antarctic, is the first of two parts; the second part will deal with the Polychaeta Sedentaria. Together, the two books contain basic information on all Antarctic polychaetes; included are all known records south of the fiftieth parallel, and some farther north into sub-Antarctic areas. Generally, Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, and some other islands south of New Zealand have not been included.

Contains 67 original papers by nearly 100 of the world’s leading specialists. Together with abstracts and literature references for 37 presentations not represented by papers, this volume provides complete coverage of the Conference and a comprehensive overview of modern research on the polychaete annelids, one of the most important groups of marine invertebrates and constituents of marine benthos. Taxonomic and subject indices of all papers and abstracts provide ready access to the contained information. Richly illustrated, this book is provided with numerous line drawings, and photomicrographs, electron micrographs. Over 60 taxa are newly described or reassigned, and detailed reviews, revisions or redescriptions are provided for five families, one subfamily and numerous genera and species, with many illustrations of new and redescribed taxa and a pictorial key to the maglonids of Thailand.