ANNELIDA Three advantages of the segmental arrangement of coelomic

spaces and muscles :

CHARACTERISTICS
1.) Creates hydrostatic compartments
 Body metameric, bilaterally symmetrical & worm-like.
- allows advantageous locomotor and supportive
 Spiral cleavage, trochophore larvae (when larvae are
functions not possible in nonmentameric animals that
present) and shizocoelous coelom formation
use a hydrostatic skeleton.
 Paired, epidermal chaetae

 Closed circulatory system

2.) Lessens the impact of injury.
 Dorsal suprapharyngeal ganglia and ventral nerve cord(s)
If one or few segments are injured, adjacent segments, set
with ganglia
off from injured segments by septa, may be able to maintain
 Metanephridia (usuallly) or pronephridia nearly normal functions, which increases survivability.

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ANIMALS 3.) Permits TAGMATIZATION.

 a Monophyletic assemblage of marine, freshwater, and -modification of certain regions of the body for
terrestrial worms. specialized functions (feeding, locomotion and reproduction).

 are LOPHROCTOZOANS (Mollusca, Brachiopada, Bryoza,

Nemertea).
ANNELID STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
 Polycheata = Annelida
Many members of both major annelid clades are
 Two major annelid clades within the polychaetes : burrowers and move through the substrate by peristaltic
Sedentaria and Errantia contractions of the body wall.

Errantian polychaetes live on the ocean floor, under

rocks and shells and within the crevices of coral reefs.
METAMERISM AND TAGMATIZATION

Metamerism – segmental arrangement of body parts

in an animal

Profoundly influences the annelid structure and function EXTERNAL STRUCTURE & LOCOMOTION
(anatomical arrangement of organs)

PARAPODIA (gr. para, beside + podion, little foot)

Two primary adaptive features of metarism:
- lateral extensions
 Flexible support
In errantia, chitinous rods support the parapodia.
 Efficient arrangement of coelom
In sedentaria, parapodia are reduced or absent (clade
Clitellata).

During embryonic development, the coelom emerges from

the segmental splitting of the mesoderm.
Chaetae (Setae) – bristles secreted from invaginations of the
distal ends of parapodia.

As the coelom enlarges, it forms:

DOUBLE-MEMBRANED SEPTUM Various species of errantian annelids are capable of

walking, fast crawling or swimming. Thru undulatory waves
DORSAL & VENTRAL MESENTERIES caused by the longitudinal muscles on one side of the body
that acts oppositely to the longitudinal muscles on the other
side of the body.
Muscles also develop from the mesodermal layers associated
As the longitudinal muscles stretches, the parapodial
with each segment. A layer of circular muscles below the
muscles relaxes and vice versa.
epidermis, below it, a layer of longitudinal muscles
To change its pace, the period and amplitude of of
(REFER SA PIC SA BOOK)
undulatory waves should increase or decrease.
Prostomium (Gr. pro, before + stoma, mouth) Most annelids simply diffuse respiratory gases across
the body wall, and parapodia increases the surface are for
- a lobe that projects dorsally and anteriorly to the
diffusion.
mouth and contains numerous sensory structures (eyes,
antennae, palps, and ciliated pits or grooves called nuchal Annelids have a closed-circulatory system.
organs.)
Respiratory pigments – molecules that carries oxygen by
combining with it.
Peristonium (Gr. peri, around)
Blood may be colorless, green or red, depending on the
- the first body segment that surrounds the mouth and prescence or type of respiratory pigments.
bears sensory tentacles or cirri.

Contractile elements of the annelid circulatory system

FEEDING AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM consists of:

Dorsal aorta - pumps from front to rear

Proboscis - an extensible tubular sucking organ. Ventral aorta - pumps from rear to front

The anterior region of the digestive tract is modified

into a proboscis that special protractor muscles and coelemic
Segmental vessels receive blood from the ventral aorta
pressure can evert through the mouth.
and break into capillary beds in the gut and body wall.
When everted, paired jaws are opened may be used for
seizing the prey.

Four most common kinds of annelid feeders:

 Predatory annelids that bears venomous glands at the

base of their jaw.

 Herbivore and Scavengers that uses their jaws to tear

food.

 Deposit-feeding annelids that feed on organic matter

they extract from marine sediments they ingest.

 Filter feeders

NERVOUS AND SENSORY FUNTIONS

The annelid digestive tract consist of the following:

a pharynx, when everted, becomes the proboscis The annelid nervous system includes:

a storage sac; crop  a pair of suprapharyngeal ganglia that connects to

grinding gizzard  a pair of subpharyngeal ganlia by

long straight intestine  circumpharyngeal connectives that run dorsoventrally

along either side of the pharynx

 a double ventral cord

 paired segmental ganglia

 lateral nerves

 giant and small fibers

GAS EXCHANGE ANG CIRCULATION

 Anterior segments – carry on normal maintenance
functions

Posterior segments – are enlarged and filled with

gametes.

Zoologists believe that swarming of Epitokes accomplishes

three things:

1.) Predators cannot devastate the whole population

because nonreproductive individuals remain
safe below the surface.
EXCRETION
2.) External fertilization requires that reproductively
active at the same time and in close
proximity with one another.
Annelids secrete ammonia
3.) Swarming provides a banquet for predators.
Nephridia – excretory organs of annelids (like most
invertebrates).

Two types of Nephridia:

Protenephridium – consists of a tubule with a closed bulb at

one end and a connection to the outside of the body at the
other end.

Metanephridium – consists of an open, ciliated funnel called

Nephrostone, that projects through an anterior coelom of an
adjacent segment.

Chloragogen tissue – surrounds the dorsal blood vessel and

lies over the dorsal surface of the intestine. Similar to
vertebrate’s liver.
Spiral cleavage of fertilized eggs may result in planktonic
trochophore larvae that bud segments anterior to the anus.
Larvae eventually settle to the substrate.

Anterior end is the oldest.

REGENERATON, REPRODUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT

Most annelids can regenerate and some species have break CLASS ERRANTIA
points that allows worms to sever themselves in times of
trouble.
-mostly marine annelids

Polychaelates reproduce: -have parapodia with prominent lobes, long setae and well
developed palps.
 Asexually (Budding or Transverse fission)
-comprises majority of the annelida.
 Sexually (most common)

Most polychaelates are dioecious.

Nereis
Epitoky – the formation of a reproductive individual
(epitoke) that differs from the nonreproductive form of
the species (atoke).
-sandworms, ragworms, and clamworms
Two body regions of an Epitoke: -Neanthes or Alitta as the valid senior name for this genus.
-most burrow in sand and mud of temperate marine marine -formerly classified into phylum Pognophora.
habitats.

-males and females metamorphose into a reproductive stage.

Eichiura

Glycera
-SPOON WORMS

-consists of about 130 species

-BLOODWORM
-feeds into its spatula-shaped proboscis
-has hemoglobin in coelomoycytes distributing oxygen
throughout the body cavity.
Clade Clitellata
-septa separating metameric body compartments is not
complete.

-Glycerids burrow in soft sediments and feed on marine -includes earthworms, leeches
invertebrates.
-has Clitellum used in cocoon formation, monoecious direct
-Reproduction follows a similar pattern with Nereis. development

-monophylic
Fireworms

LUMBRICUS - REPRESENTATIVE “OLIGOCHAETE”

-feeds on soft and hard coral polyps and small crustacean.

-white setae fringing this annelid are hollow and -found throughout the world in freshwater and terrestrial
venom-filled. habitats.
-APOSEMATIC COLORATION (bright colors) -aquatic species live in shallow water and burrow in mud and
debris.
-some are bioluminescent and use light in mating.
-terrestrial species live in soils with high organic content.

CLADE (CLASS) SEDENTARIA

EXTERNAL STRUCTURE AND LOCOMOTION

-includes a variety of marine tubeworms, siboglinids,

echiurans, and members of the clade clitellata. -have setae
-includes oligochates -earthworms lacks setae because parapodia and long setae
would interfere with their burrowing lifestyles.
-Sedentarians have poropodia with reduced lobes or
parapodia are completely lacking, -CLITELLUM (series of segments in the anterior half of an
oligochate that is swollen into girdle-like structure that
secretes mucus during copulation and forms a cocoon.)
Tubeworms

-locomotion involves antagonism of circular and longitudinal

-variety of sedentarian taxa that construct tubes, which are muscles in groups of segments.
parchment like, or composed of cemented sand grains.
-are scavengerss
-others constructs burrows in sand.
-has a pharynx that acts as a pump for ingesting food.
-some tubeworms feed on particulate matter in sea water
-monoecious
using cilia and mucus to trap and transport suspended
organic matter.

-testes are closely associated with three pairs of seminal

vesicles
Siboglinidae

Seminal vesicles - are sites for maturation and storage of

-BEARDWORMS
sperm prior to their release.
-consists of about 120 species of tube-dwelling marine
Seminal receptacles - receive sperm during copulation
worms.
Ovisacs- associated with oviducts are sites for the maturation
and storage of eggs prior to egg release.

Clade Hirudinea

-LEECHES

-feeds on small invertebrates or bodily fluids of vertebrates.

-lacks parapodia and head appendages

-dorsoventrally flattened and taper anteriorly.

-has 34 segments

Annuli - are in each true segment; several secondary

divisions

-leech ceolom has lost its metameric partitioning.

-septa are lost

-SOMETIMES CALLED PARASITES

-PREDATORY

Hirudo medicinalis - MEDICINAL LEECH

-monoecious

BASAL ANNELID GROUPS

CHAEPTOPTERIDAE

Chaeptopterus - PARCHMENT WORM

-lives in a U-shaped tube

-both ends of the tubes are open

-anterior region is a shovel-like mouth andd series of

segments with highly modified bristle-like poropodia

-are bioluminescent.

SIPUNCULA

-PEANUT WORMS

-burrowing worms found in oceans throughout the world.