General Introduction

The Annelids (Latin anellus ="little ring) are a

large phylum comprising of segmented worms.

About 15,000 modern species (including the
earthworms and leeches).
Found in most wet environments (freshwater &
most marine).
Most prefer aquatic but some are terrestrial.
Some are parasitic or mutualistic.
Range in length from under a millimeter to over
3meters.
Feed a wide range of material ingest sediments
and blood-suckers.

Species commonly known to human

beings:
The Rain, Dew or Earthworms that work so

hard to make our soils healthy.

The Ragworms and Lugworms used by

marine fishermen.
Tubifex or Red worms used by aquarists to feed

their fish.
Leeches for medicinal purposes.
Fan Worms & Bristle worms Polychaetes

General charateristics
Bilaterally symmetrical and vermiform.
Body has more than two cell layers, tissues and

organs.

Body cavity is a true coelom, often divided by internal

septa.

Body possesses a through gut with mouth and anus.

Body possesses 3 separate sections, a prostomium, a

trunk and a pygidium.

 Has a nervous system with an anterior nerve

ring, ganglia and a ventral nerve chord.

Has a true closed circulatory system.
Has no true respiratory organs.
Reproduction normally sexual and gonochoristic

(a distinct sex) or hermaphoditic.

Annelid Characteristics
Defining Characteristics
One or more pairs of

chitinous setae

The phylum includes

polychaetes,
earthworms, leeches,
and vestimentiferans
True

segmented worms

Metameric segmentation

Phylum Annelida

Body Structure
The body is a tube

within a tube
The

coelom is
important to
annelids for:

The epidermis is what

secretes the tough cuticle

Phylum Annelida

Annelid Body Plan

Setae

Locomotion
On each side of the

animal is a parapod
(parapodia) consisting
of fleshly lobes, which
are supported by
chitinous rods
Each parapod have
setae, which can be
sharp (protection),
and aid in locomotion

Phylum Annelida

Digestive System

11

Phylum Annelida

Circulatory System
Blood flows entirely

in closed vessels
Some spp. have
hearts
Blood contains

hemoglobin, which
increases oxygen
carrying ability
Phylum Annelida

12

Excretory & Nervous

System

Nervous
system

Phylum Annelida

13

Reproduction
Sexes are usually separate with gonads occurring

in each segment
Some species have gonad specific segments

Breeding is usually seasonal (spring or fall)

As gametes mature they fill the coelom and are

released by the nephridia

Fertilization can be internal or external
Trochophore larvae develop, which are
remarkably similar to the Molluscs
14

Phylum Annelida

Asexual reproduction

Asexual fragmentation - allows them to reproduce quickly.

(e.g. Lumbriculus blackworm)

The body breaks off and forms a new identical worm.

Each surviving fragment undergoes rapid regeneration of body

segments to form a new head end, tail end, or both ends.

Each fragment grows into a normal sized worm comprising a

combination of older and newer segments, representing two or more
generations of development.

Never reach maturation / produce coccoons

Many other taxa (eg. most earthworms) cannot reproduce this way,
though they can regrow amputated segments.

Sexual reproduction

Earthworms, oligochaetes and leeches are

hermaphroditic and mate periodically
throughout
the
year
in
favoured
environmental conditions.

Mate by copulation.

Two worms which are attracted by each

other's secretions lay their bodies
together with their heads pointing
opposite directions.

The fluid is transferred from the male pore

to the other worm.

Sperm transfer varies across genera, and

may
involve
internal
spermathecae
(sperm
storing
chambers)
or
spermatophores that are attached to the
outside of the other worm's body.

Taxonomic Summary
Phylum

Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Family Siboglinidae
Class Clitellata
Subclass
Oligochaeta
Subclass Hirudinea
Phylum Annelida

17

Classification

Annelid Phylogeny

Class Polychaeta
- largest
group of annelids and the majority are
marine (Fan worms, Bristle worms etc.).

Class Clitellata
Oligochaeta includes earthworms
which
are
both
aquatic
and
terrestrial,
and tubificids. As
traditionally defined, the Oligochaeta
are paraphyletic.
Leeches (Hirudinea) - These include
both bloodsucking external parasites
and predators of small invertebrates.
Acanthobdellidea and Branchiobdella
- small leech-like clitellates.

Class Polychaeta
Most

common marine organisms

colourful annelids of the sea

More than 10,000 species.

Living in the depths of the ocean,

floating free near the surface,

burrowing in the mud and sand.

or

One common feature - Polychaetes

have bristles on their legs.

Generally medium size < 10cm in

length and 2 to 10mm diameter Some, such as Eunice gigantea, may

reach 3m long.

Class

Polychaeta

Defining characteristics
Parapodia?

Some tube species

lack parapodia but it
is believed to have
been lost

Parapodia differ from

species to species and

play an important role
in identification
Phylum Annelida

22

Class
Polychaet
a Highly specialized head
regions
Antennae
Sensory palps
Feeding appendages

Bispira bunnea
sabellid worm

Paired extensions of body

(parapodia)
Often tube-dwelling
Burrow into substrate and secrete mucus

Polychaete
Anatomy

Polychaete Anatomy
(cross section)

Parapodia
used for movement

act as primary respiratory surfaces

(external gills)
Parapodial muscles attach to circulair

Chaetae
Each parapodium 2 bundles of chaetae
New chaetae produced by chaetal sac when older chaetae lost
or shed
Chaeta used to improve traction for locomotion through
sediment or over surfaces
Tips of chaeta needles/hooks/serrated blades
Some chaeta spatule shovels for digging
Some chaeta - swimming

Wheres the head??

Head
region
of
polychaete prostomium
+ peristomium and one
or
more
additional
segments

Peristomium has sensory

tentacular palps

Nervous system and sense organs

Brain varies in structure,

with mobile active forms

having the most complex
brains, and sessile or
burrowing forms having
simple brains with little
differentiation.

Brain is connected to the

ventral nerve cord by the

circumpharyngeal
connectives, which run
down each side of the
pharynx
(part
of
the
digestive tract just after its
mouth).

Sense organs of Polychaetes

6 major sensory structures
palps, antennae, eyes (ocelli),
statocysts, nuchal organs and
lateral organs
Palps and antennae are located
on
the
head
of
many
polychaetes. In some groups
they are both sensory while in
others the palps are used for
feeding.
Nuchal organs are ciliated,
paired,
chemosensory
structures, innervated from the
posterior part of the brain
detecting food

 Sensory

appendages
of
prostomium (antennae, palps),
peristomium (tentacular cirri),
parapodia (dorsal and ventral
cirri), pygidium (pygidial cirri)
sensory cells

Mechanoreceptors,

chemoreceptors
Eyes

(ocelli) located at the

feathers of some feather duster
worms can detect shadow

Circulatory system
A closed circulatory system is

present in most polychaetes

Major

blood vessels are

present
but
the
distal
capillary vessels are missing
in a number of polychaete
groups.

circulatory
system
is
absent
in
many
small
polychaetes.

Digestive system

Gut straight tube from mouth to the anus contain digestive

enzymes

Pharynx, short esophagus, stomach, Intestines, rectum

Teeth some species grasping jaws in pharynx

Worms crawl or burrow feces released and abandoned

Tube-dwelling polychaetes pump water unidirectionally through

tubes defecate into downsteam exhaust flow

Some avoid fecal contamination by living upside down in vertical

tubes feather duster worms has ciliated groove transports fecal
pellets from anus anteriorly out of tube

Many species consolidate their feces into high density fecal pellets
or strings - tend not to resuspend or reenter burrow or tubes

Ways of feeding
lying in its burrow and

continually ingesting
sand (up to 23 hours
a day!).

Arenicola (Arenicolidae)

 Comprised

of
many
radioles
which
are
modified grooved palps.

Each radiole has pinnules

that are lined with cilia

and these create a current
in the surrounding water.

The

current
passes
through the radioles and
food particles are trapped
on
the
pinnules
and
carried into the ciliated
groove by cilia.

The ciliary current carries

the particles towards the

base of the radioles where
the material is sorted.

The feathery crown of sabellids

 living in a burrow with

palps
extended
gathering food.

for

Food

particles
are
collected in the grooved
palps which have cilia as
well as mucus.

The palps are drawn back

to the mouth region

where they are 'wiped
clean' by the upper lip
and ventral buccal organ.

Terebellid polychaete

Body wall and tubes of

polychaetes

Tube material fibrous protein

appearance
of
cellophane,
parchment or silk barrier for
protection or feeding (catch
passing prey)

Incorporate mud, quartz, sand,

shell fragments, plant debris and
algae into wall of tube

A
worm
may
permanently
occupy its tube enlarging
growth. (eg. Chaetopterus and
feather-duster worms)

Or maybe abandon the tube,

crawl to new location and
secrete another. (eg. Diopatra)

Diopatra cuprea (Plumed worm)

Locomotion
divided into 2 groups
Active, mobile species - swim/crawl

Circular muscles play a minor role

Action of parapodia - crawling
Acicula (chitinous support rods within parapodia) play
an important role stiffening elements
cilia

burrowing species
Spend their lives in simple burrows in sediment or in
protective tubes
Parapodia greatly reduced, some species absent
Acicula are absent
Lack protusible pharynx

Tubeworms submerged in a pool and

exit from its tube to have a quick look
around.

Polychaete Lifestyles
Crawling polychaetes
Pelagic polychaetes
Burrowing polychaetes
Tube-dwelling

polychaetes

40

Phylum Annelida

Polychaeta

Amphitrite

Arenicola sp.

Lugworm (Arenicola sp)

Sabellid
Polychaeta

Chaetopterus
sp.

Siboglinidae
(formerly - Phylum Pogonophora)

Riftia pachyptila
Ridgea sp

Giant tube worms (Vestimentifera)

trophosome

Riftia pachyptila

Bobbit worms
Eunice spp.

Featherduster worms

Polychaete
Reproduction
Dioecious
Trochophore larvae
Some species develop specialized

segments containing gametes

Epitokes
Segments are released and

gametes burst out

Polychaete
Reproduction
Epitokes
are
essentially
buds
Clues to ancestral
origin of
segmentation
Segmentation may

have been derived

from incomplete
budding processes

Class Clitellata
Subclass Oligochaeta
Defining characteristics
Pronounced cylindrical

glandular region of the

body = clitellum

Second largest class in

the phylum Annelida

Most spp. are
earthworms, very few
are marine
Phylum Annelida

51

Class Oligochaeta

Polychaetes and
Oligochaetes
Oligochaetes differ

from polychaetes in
several ways:
No parapods, fewer

setae (if at all)

Hermaphroditic with
sex cells produced in a
separate section
No larval stages

Phylum Annelida

53

Oligochaete Anatomy

Oligochaete Anatomy

Seta: a.k.a. Bristles

Oligochaete Excretory
System

Oligochaete Nervous System

Oligochaete Nerve Cord

Oligochaete Reproduction

Oligochaete Development
For terrestrial oligochaetes,

development is direct without any

larval forms
Some aquatic oligochaetes retain a
trochophore-like larval stage

Common Terrestrial
Oligocheates: Earthworms
Octagonal-tail worm (Dendrobaena octaedra)
Red marsh worm (Lumbricus rubellus)
Dew-worm or nightcrawler (Lumbricus

terrestris)
Pink soil worm (Aporrectodea rosea)
Canadian worm (Aporrectodea tuberculata)
Pasture worm (Aporrectodea turgida)
Woodland white worm (Octolasion tyrtaeum)
Redworm (Eisenia fetida )

Quick and Easy Earthworm Morphology

Guide

Morphology
Number & location of
GTs and TPs,
location & shape of
clitellum
Aporrectodea turgida

Lumbricus rubellus

Ecology
Location of burrows

Aquatic
Oligocheates

Hirudinea

Leech Anatomy
Anterior sucker is small

and contains the mouth

Anterior sucker
creates a wound with
saw like jaws
Leeches drink other
animals blood, usually
vertebrates
Can be carnivores, or
scavengers; leeches
are not set in their
feeding habits
Phylum Annelida

66

Leech Reproduction
Leeches are

simultaneous
hermaphrodites that
lack a free-living larvae
stage
Fertilization is internal
through copulation
Development occurs in
a cocoon similar to the
Oligochaetes
Phylum Annelida

68