Oweniidae
| Oweniidae | |
|---|---|
| Owenia fusiformis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Family: | Oweniidae Rioja, 1917
|
| Genera | |
| |
Oweniidae is a family of marine polychaete worms in the clade Palaeoannelida.[1] The worms live in tubes made of sand and are selective filter feeders,[2] detritivores and grazers.[3]
Characteristics
Members of this family live in tubes made of sand and shell fragments. The head of the worm does not bear a proboscis, but has the mouth at the tip rimmed by some very short tentacles. The body segments lack parapodia and are smooth elongated cylinders. There are a large number of hooked chaetae or bristles on a small pad on the ventral side of each segment. These chaetae have two parallel teeth resembling claws which is a feature that distinguishes members of this family from other polychaetes. The posterior tip bears different appendages in different genera. Family members are unique in having a bell-shaped larval stage known as a mitraria larva. At one time the family was classified as the Ammocharidae.[2]
Genera
- Galathowenia Kirkegaard, 1959
- Myriochele Malmgren, 1867
- Myriowenia Hartman, 1960
- Owenia Delle Chiaje, 1844[3]
References
- ^ Weigert, Anne; Bleidorn, Christoph (2016). "Current status of annelid phylogeny". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 16 (2): 345–362. doi:10.1007/s13127-016-0265-7. ISSN 1439-6092.
- ^ a b NIWA Guide to Polychaeta
- ^ a b World Register of Marine Species