Polychaetes
"A variety of marine worms": plate from Das Meer by M. J. Schleiden (1804–1881).
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Class: Polychaeta Grube, 1850
Subclasses
Palpata Scoleoida Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1072x1644, 1209 KB) Borstenwurmer des Meeres. A variety of marine worms. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... “Animalia” redirects here. ... Classes and subclasses Class Polychaeta (paraphyletic?) Class Clitellata    Oligochaeta - Earthworms and others    Acanthobdellida    Branchiobdellida    Hirudinea - Leeches Class Myzostomida Class Archiannelida (polyphyletic) Class Echiura *Some authors consider the subclasses under Clitellata to be classes The annelids, collectively called Annelida, are a large phylum of animals, comprising the segmented worms, with about... In biology, a subclass is one level below a class. ...

The Polychaeta or polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. Polychaeta means "many-bristled" (as opposed to the Oligochaeta which are "few-bristled"), and indeed the polychaetes are sometimes referred to as bristle worms. More than 10,000 species are described in this class. Common representatives include the lugworm (Arenicola marina) and the sandworm or clam worm Nereis. Classes and subclasses Class Polychaeta (paraphyletic?) Class Clitellata*    Oligochaeta - earthworms, etc. ... Parapodia (almost feet) are paired lateral outgrowths, bearing bristles known as chaetae. ... Chaetae (singular chaeta) are bristles or seta found on annelid worms such as the earthworm. ... Structure of the chitin molecule, showing two of the N-Acetylglucosamine units that repeat to form long chains in beta-1,4 linkage. ... This Tree of Life article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Binomial name Arenicola marina The lugworm or sandworm is a large marine worm of the phylum Annelida. ... A sandworm is a Polychaete in the genus Nereis. ... Binomial name Nereis succinea (Frey & Leuchart, 1847) The Common clam worm Nereis succinea is a widely distributed polychaete worm. ...

Anatomy and physiology

The polychaetes' paddle-like and highly vascularized parapodia are used for movement and act as the annelid's primary respiratory surfaces (parapodia can be thought of as kinds of external gills that are also used for locomotion). Polychaeta also have well-developed heads compared to other annelids. Classes and subclasses Class Polychaeta (paraphyletic?) Class Clitellata*    Oligochaeta - earthworms, etc. ... Gas exchange or respiration takes place at a respiratory surface - a boundary between the external environment and the interior of the body. ... gills of a Smooth Newt Gills inside of a tuna head In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ...

General anatomy of a polychaete

Tomopteris from plankton

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x722, 128 KB)tomopterus image uwe kils gfdl self File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x722, 128 KB)tomopterus image uwe kils gfdl self File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Tomopteris from plankton - a polychaete ... Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton are any drifting organism that inhabits the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. ...

Ecology

Polychaetes are extremely variable in both form and lifestyle and include a few taxa that swim among the plankton. Most burrow or build tubes on the bottom, and some live as commensals. A few are parasitic. The mobile forms or Errantia tend to have well-developed sense organs and jaws, while the Sedentaria (or stationary forms) lack them but may have specialized gills or tentacles used for respiration and deposit or filter feeding, e.g., fanworms. Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton are any drifting organism that inhabits the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. ... Common Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) in their magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) home. ...

Terrestrial polychaetes

A few groups have evolved to live in terrestrial environments, like Namanereidinae with many terrestrial species, but are restricted to humid areas. Some have even evolved cutaneous invaginations for aerial gas exchange.

Sabellastarte indica

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1275x835, 237 KB) Featuer duster worm (Eudistylia polymorpha) Kingdom Animalia Phylum Annelida Class Polychaeta Order Sabellida Family Sabellidae Genus Eudistylia Species E. polymorpha Photo: Chris Gotschalk. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1275x835, 237 KB) Featuer duster worm (Eudistylia polymorpha) Kingdom Animalia Phylum Annelida Class Polychaeta Order Sabellida Family Sabellidae Genus Eudistylia Species E. polymorpha Photo: Chris Gotschalk. ...

In unusual environments

One notable polychaete, the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is endemic to the hydrothermal vents of the Pacific Ocean. Pompeii worms are thought to be the most heat-tolerant complex animals known. Binomial name Alvinella pompejana The Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is a deep-sea polychaete worm found only at hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean. ... A hydrothermal vent A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planets surface from which geothermally heated water issues. ...

A recently discovered genus Osedax includes the Bone-eating snot flower. Species Osedax frankpressi Osedax rubiplumus The osedax are a genus of whalebone-eating siboglinids (deep sea worms), first discovered in Monterey Bay, California, in June 2004. ... Species Osedax frankpressi Osedax rubiplumus The osedax are a genus of whalebone-eating siboglinids (deep sea worms), first discovered in Monterey Bay, California, in June 2004. ...

Another remarkable polychaete is Hesiocaeca methanicola, which lives on methane clathrate deposits. Binomial name Hesiocaeca methanicola Recently, methane clathrate deposits in the ocean floor have been found to be inhabited by polychaete worms of the species Hesiocaeca methanicola. ... Burning ice. Methane, released by heating, burns; water drips (USGS). ...

Lamellibrachia luymesi is a cold seep tube worm that reaches lengths of over 3 meters and may be the most long lived animal at over 250 years old. Species See text Lamellibrachia is a genus of the tube worm related to the giant tube worm, Riftia pachyptila. ... Tubeworms, soft corals and chemosynthetic mussels at a seep located 3,000 metres down on the Florida Escarpment. ... The name tube worm describes several groups of marine worms that secrete tubes which they then inhabit, emerging to filter feed. ...

Fossil record

Cloudina is an Ediacaran fossil that may be an early Serpulid worm. The oldest definite polychaetes are from the Cambrian Period, such as Canadia from the Burgess Shale. Cloudinids (Cloudinia) are an extinct animal phylum that formed small tubelike or conical fossils consisting of cup-in-cup segments of calcareous material. ... The Ediacaran Period (from the Ediacara Hills of South Australia) is the last geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era, just before the Cambrian. ... The Cambrian is a major division of the geologic timescale that begins about 542 ± 1. ... Canadia is an extinct polychaete annelid known from fossils found in the Burgess Shale formation of British Columbia. ... Hallucigenia sparsa, one of the organisms unique to the Burgess Shale. ...

Polychaetes are more commonly known from their fossilized jaws, known as scolecodonts, and from the mineralized tubes that some of them secrete. Scolecodonts are the jaws of polychaete annelids (worms). ... A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure and specific physical properties. ...

Taxonomy

Wikispecies has information related to:

Polychaete

Taxonomically, the polychaetes are thought to be paraphyletic, meaning that as a group it contains its most recent common ancestor, but does not contain all the descendants of that ancestor. Groups that may be descended from the polychaetes include the earthworms, the leeches, sipunculans, and echiurans. The Pogonophora and Vestimentifera were once considered separate phyla, but are now classified in the polychaete family Siboglinidae. GFDL Wikispecies logo File links The following pages link to this file: Solanaceae Species Asterias Homo (genus) Human Wikipedia:Template messages/Links Wikipedia:Template messages/All Homo floresiensis User talk:Tuneguru Template:Wikispecies Categories: GFDL images ... Wikispecies is a sister project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that anybody can edit with a great potential use to students and researchers. ... Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Families   Acanthodrilidae   Ailoscolecidae   Alluroididae   Almidae   Criodrilidae   Eudrilidae   Exxidae   Glossoscolecidae   Lumbricidae   Lutodrilidae   Megascolecidae   Microchaetidae   Ocnerodrilidae   Octochaetidae   Sparganophilidae Earthworm is the common name for the largest members of the Oligochaeta (which is either a class or subclass depending on the author) in the phylum Annelida. ... For other uses, see Leech (disambiguation). ... The Sipuncula, sipunculid worms or peanut worms, are a phylum of marine worms with a tentacle surrounded mouth on a completely invertible head end. ... The Echiura, or spoon worms, are a small group of marine animals. ... The Pogonophora, or beard worms, are a small group of deep sea tube worms often found growing around warm springs. ... The Vestimentifera are a small group of deep sea worms, now treated as the family Siboglinidae among the annelids, together with the Pogonophora. ... Genera Birsteinia Choanophorus Cyclobrachia Lamellibrachia Lamellisabella Osedax Paraescarpia Ridgeia Riftia Siboglinoides Siboglinum Volvobrachia . ...

Much of the classification below matches Rouse & Fauchald, 1998, although that paper does not apply ranks above family.

• Subclass Palpata
  • Order Aciculata
    • Suborder uncertain
      • Family Aberrantidae
      • Family Nerillidae
      • Family Spintheridae
    • Suborder Eunicida
      • Family Amphinomidae
      • Family Diurodrilidae
      • Family Dorvilleidae
      • Family Eunicidae
      • Family Euphrosinidae
      • Family Hartmaniellidae
      • Family Histriobdellidae
      • Family Lumbrineridae
      • Family Oenonidae
      • Family Onuphidae
    • Suborder Phyllodocida
      • Family Acoetidae
      • Family Alciopidae
      • Family Aphroditidae
      • Family Chrysopetalidae
      • Family Eulepethidae
      • Family Glyceridae
      • Family Goniadidae
      • Family Hesionidae
      • Family Ichthyotomidae
      • Family Iospilidae
      • Family Lacydoniidae
      • Family Lopadorhynchidae
      • Family Myzostomatidae
      • Family Nautillienellidae
      • Family Nephtyidae
      • Family Nereididae
      • Family Paralacydoniidae
      • Family Pholoidae
      • Family Phyllodocidae
      • Family Pilargidae
      • Family Pisionidae
      • Family Polynoidae
      • Family Pontodoridae
      • Family Sigalionidae
      • Family Sphaeodoridae
      • Family Syllidae
      • Family Typhloscolecidae
      • Family Tomopteridae
  • Order Canalipalpata
    • Suborder uncertain
      • Family Polygordiidae
      • Family Protodrilidae
      • Family Protodriloididae
      • Family Saccocirridae
    • Suborder Sabellida
      • Family Oweniidae
      • Family Siboglinidae (formerly the phyla Pogonophora & Vestimentifera)
      • Family Serpulidae
      • Family Sabellidae
      • Family Sabellariidae
      • Family Spirorbidae
    • Suborder Spionida
      • Family Apistobranchidae
      • Family Chaetopteridae
      • Family Longosomatidae
      • Family Magelonidae
      • Family Poecilochaetidae
      • Family Spionidae
      • Family Trochochaetidae
      • Family Uncispionidae
    • Suborder Terebellida
      • Family Acrocirridae
      • Family Alvinellidae
      • Family Ampharetidae
      • Family Cirratulidae
      • Family Ctenodrilidae
      • Family Fauveliopsidae
      • Family Flabelligeridae
      • Family Flotidae
      • Family Pectinariidae
      • Family Poeobiidae
      • Family Sternaspidae
      • Family Terebellidae
      • Family Trichobranchidae
• Subclass Scolecida
  • Family Aeolosomatidae
  • Family Arenicolidae
  • Family Capitellidae
  • Family Cossunidae
  • Family Maldanidae
  • Family Ophelidae
  • Family Orbiniidae
  • Family Paraonidae
  • Family Parergodrilidae
  • Family Potamodrilidae
  • Family Psammodrilidae
  • Family Questidae
  • Family Scalibregmatidae

Genera Eunice Euniphysa Lysidice Marphysa Nematonereis Palola Paramarphysa Eunicidae is a family of worms. ... genus Examples: Glycera Glyceridae is a taxonomic family of worms. ... genus Aglaophamus Dentinephtys Inermonephtys Micronephthys Nephtys Pellucidaria Nephtyidae is a taxonomic family of worms. ... Genera Nereis Platynereis Namalycastis Namanereis Eunereis Hediste Neanthes Perinereis Australonereis Laeonereis Dendronereides Olganereis Nicon Rullierinereis Leptonereis Sinonereis Tylonereis Tylorrhynchus Ceratocephale Gymnonereis Tambalagamia Micronereides Ceratonereis Solomononereis Unanereis Lycastopsis Cheilonereis Websterinereis Nereidae (sometimes also spelled Nereididae) are a family of polychaete worms. ... The Saccocirridae are small interstitial polychaetes common in coarse sand, reflective, surf beaches, usually within the zone of retention. ... Sabellida is a family or subclass of the class polychaeta. ... Genera Birsteinia Choanophorus Cyclobrachia Lamellibrachia Lamellisabella Osedax Paraescarpia Ridgeia Riftia Siboglinoides Siboglinum Volvobrachia . ... Genus see text. ... Genera Alvinella Paralvinella The Alvinellidae are a family of small, deep-sea polychaete worms endemic to hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean. ... Terebellidae is a family of polychaete worms. ...

See also

• Epitoky, a form of reproduction of Polychaetae.

Nereis succinea (common clam worm) in Epitoky stage Epitoky is a form of reproduction observed for polychaete marine worms. ...

References

• Campbell, Reece, and Mitchell. Biology. 1999.
• Rouse, Greg W.; Fauchald, Kristian (1998). "Recent views on the status, delineation, and classification of the Annelida". American Zoologist 38: 953-964. 

External links

• Special issue dedicated to polychaete published in Marine Ecology. Read the article abstracts online

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Polychaeta