Synopsis For Annelida

Synopsis of Phylum Annelida
(segmented worms, bristle worms)
Identifying Characteristics of the phylum

-large successful phylum in water & on land; include earthworms, sand worms, bristle worms, clam
worms, fan worms, leeches
-worldwide distribution: marine, brackish, freshwater and terrestrial; some live in tubes they secrete or
make with sand or shell
-elongated wormlike body with head-body-pygidium; true coelom present
-most show some degree of cephalization with a distinct head (=prostomium) tentacles, palps and
sensory structures; mouth with pharynx and chitinous jaws
-body with well developed metamerism (=segmentation); seen in just a few other major phyla;
segments are separated by tissue = septae; allows more efficient hydrostatic skeleton
offers a way to achieve greater size:
-most annelids have paired appendages on most segments = parapodia; used for locomotion,
respiration, in some, parapodia modified into fans and mucous bags for feeding terminal -
-body wall a single layer of epidermis; epidermis secretes a thin flexible cuticle and setae
-beneath epidermis is two layers of muscle tissue
-coelom is filled with fluid (except leeches) & serves as hydrostatic skeleton for burrowing, crawling
and swimming
-complete digestive tract “tube within a tube” design; with pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard,
intestine (with typhlosole on dorsal surface), anus; chloragogue cells line surface of intestine
-respiration by gills, parapodia, or through the body wall
-closed circulatory system with dorsal and ventral vessel and several pairs of pumping hearts; blood
contains pigments to carry oxygen
-pair of cerebral ganglia; paired ventral nerve cords; ladderlike connections in each segment
-senses; simple photoreceptors, some with complex eyes, statocysts, chemoreceptors, tentacles, palps
-one pair of nephrida (=metanephridia) in each segment
-both asexual and sexual reproduction; monoecious or dioecious; larva, if present = trochophore
Class: Polychaeta (Sand Worms)

-largest, most diverse and most primitive class of Annelids
-sand worms, bristle worms, fan worms, clam worms, etc
-mostly marine; a few found in freshwater
-deposit feeders, filter feeders, predators, scavengers; some have elaborate filtering structures
-distinct head with mouth and sense organs
-most body segments have appendages = parapodia with setae
-free swimming polychaetes are mostly predators; sedentary polychaetes are filter or deposit feeders
-most are dioecious; gonads appear as temporary swelling of peritoneum at certain seasons
-some polychaetes live most of the year as sexually immature individuals = atokes; become sexually
mature and swollen with gametes = epitokes
Class Oligochaeta (Earthworms)

-mostly terrestrial; most abundant ‘worms’ on land; also many live in freshwaters
-relatives of sand worms but no parapodia and very few setae
-no distinct head
-most are scavengers on decaying organic matter; mainly burrowers; eat as they burrow then let
digestive system extract nutrients
-typhlosole in intestine improves absorption of nutrients
-no respiratiory organs or parapodia like polychaetes; breath through skin, no lungs or gills
This is NOT “what’s on the test”; this is a summary of the major points from lab and lectures; the lecture & lab notes are the sources of exam questions 1
-earthworms are hermaphrodites; cross fertilize each other; use clitellum to form coccoon
Class Hirudinea (Leeches)

-mainly freshwater; a few marine and terrestrial
-many are carnivores; some are parasites
-body is dorsoventrally flattened with anterior and posterior suckers
-coelom is filled with connective tissue and muscle
-no parapodia ; no setae; leeches have poor hydrostatic skeleton
-most are predators of snails, worms and insect larvae; some are scavengers; some are blood sucking
parasites
-very slow digestion; can live for almost a year on one meal
-most exchange gasses through skin; a few aquatic forms have gills
-hermaphroditic; cross fertilize during copulation
-do have clitellum to produce coccoon that receives eggs and sperm
Ecological and Economic Impacts of Annelids

Polychaetes
-detritus food chains; prominent in marine food webs
-beardworms entire ecosystem not based on photosynthesis; common in hydrothermal vent
communities
-Major decomposers of deep sea whale carcasses
-human food (samoa)
Oligochaetes
-detritus food chains
-important in keeping soil fertile since they are constantly turning over earth and mixing
organic matter into it
-Food for birds and other animals
-Food for Humans
-Fishing bait
Hirudinea
-medicinal uses; in past centuries medicinal leech, Hirudo, was used to suck out “bad blood”
today leeches used in medicine to speed healing of reattached fingers and limbs
-commonly used in biology labs
-leeches have become leading research models for understanding how the nervous system works
-some chemicals used by the leech in obtaining and digesting blood are being studied for treating
circulatory diseases
-leeches have also affected history: eg. land leeches of India
This is NOT “what’s on the test”; this is a summary of the major points from lab and lectures; the lecture & lab notes are the sources of exam questions 2

Synopsis For Annelida

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Synopsis For Annelida

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Synopsis of Phylum Annelida

(segmented worms, bristle worms)

Identifying Characteristics of the phylum

Class: Polychaeta (Sand Worms)

Class Oligochaeta (Earthworms)

Class Hirudinea (Leeches)

Ecological and Economic Impacts of Annelids

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