Canalipalpata, also known as bristle-footed annelids or fan-head worms, is an order of polychaete worms, with 31 families in it including the suborder Sabellida (families Serpulidae (tubeworms) and Sabellidae (fanworms and feather duster worms) and the Alvinellidae, a family of deep-sea worms associated with hydrothermal vents.

Canalipalpata
Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) in East Timor.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Sedentaria
Infraclass: Canalipalpata
Suborders

Sabellida
Spionida
Terebellida

Sabellastarte magnifica, magnificent feather duster worm

The Canalipalpata have no teeth or jaws.[1] Most are filter feeders. They have grooved palpi, which are covered in cilia. These cilia are used to transport food particles to the mouth. However, the cilia and grooves have been lost in the Siboglinidae family.[2]

Fossil record edit

The earliest known member of the Canalipalpata is Terebellites franklini, which was found in the Clouds Rapids Formation of Newfoundland, and dates from the mid Cambrian (St David's series).[3]

Use in aquaria edit

Many species of Canalipalpata are visually attractive.[tone] Fanworms and Christmas tree worms (a type of serpulid) are recommended as species for beginners to keep in a marine aquarium.[4]


Taxonomy edit

Order Canalipalpata

References edit

  1. ^ Robert D. Barnes (1980). Invertebrate Zoology (4th ed.). Holt-Saunders. ISBN 4-8337-0001-8.
  2. ^ Peter Ax (1996). Multicellular Animals: The Phylogenetic System of the Metazoa. Vol. 2. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 3-540-67406-3.
  3. ^ M.J.Benton, ed. (1993). The Fossil Record 2. Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-39380-8.
  4. ^ Martyn Haywood; Sue Wells (1989). The Manual of Marine Invertebrates. Salamander Books Limited, London. ISBN 0-86101-474-X.

External links edit