Chaetopterus

Last updated

Chaetopterus
Chaetopterus.png
Chaetopterus sp.
Fairy Tubeworm and Sand Mason Worm.jpg
Photo of Chaetopterus variopedatus (smaller Lanice conchilega in front)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Sedentaria
Order: Spionida
Family: Chaetopteridae
Genus: Chaetopterus
Cuvier, 1827

Chaetopterus or the parchment worm or parchment tube worm is a genus of marine polychaete worm that lives in a tube it constructs in sediments or attaches to a rocky or coral reef substrate. [1] [2] [3] The common name arises from the parchment-like appearance of the tubes that house these worms. [3] Parchment tube worms are filter feeders and spend their adult lives in their tubes, unless the tube is damaged or destroyed. They are planktonic in their juvenile forms, as is typical for polychaete annelids. Species include the recently discovered deep water Chaetopterus pugaporcinus and the well-studied Chaetopterus variopedatus .

Contents

Housing tubes

The tubes the worms live in are either attached to rocks, or, more commonly, buried in sandy bottoms in shallow waters. The worm has spines along its body segments that are modified for tunneling into the sandy substrate to create the u-shaped tube within which it lives. [4] The tubes are upright u-shaped tunnels lined with mucous, then the parchment tube, with the worm living inside the parchment tube. Each parchment tube ends with a chimney of parchment that juts above the substrate. The tubes can be as long as 85 centimeters and up to 4 centimeters in diameter at the widest portion in the buried central part of the tube. The chimneys may be wider or much narrower than the rest of the tube. [5]

Worm morphology

The worms are unique among the polychaete worms in the highly derived parapodia of the mid-segments of its body that are used in its specialized filter feeding regime. [3] The worm's parapodia are modified into the shape of fans and used to create suction and pump water through the worm's parchment living tube. [3] The morphology of the structures are used in identifying species. [4] The worm feeds by using modified structures on its midbody segments that create mucus nets to trap food passed through the net. [6] A flow of water containing plankton and organic debris is created by "circular flaps" on three segments that create suction that draws water through the living tube. [6]

Bioluminescence

Members of the genus have no organs for detecting light and live their entire adult lives in their buried tubes. [6] In spite of this, known members of the genera exhibit strong bioluminescence. [4] When the worm is disturbed in its home it moves to the end of the tube away from the disturbance and near the disturbance it emits its feeding mucus with crystals that exhibit blue luminescence. [7]

Commensal animals

Two species of filter-feeding crustaceans from different families may make their homes in the Chaetopterus tube, Polyonyx gibbesi (family Porcellanidae) and Pinnixa chaetopterana (family Pinnotheridae) ; [5] [8] while a third species, Tumidotheres maculatus is known to sometimes inhabit the tubes. [6] Polyonyx and Pinnixa are almost always present in the tubes, generally as a pair of crabs, and both species may inhabit the tubes at the same time. [5] However, breeding pairs of either species do not share the tubes with adults of the other species. [5] The crustaceans may live most of their lives in the tubes, leaving in the case of disturbance by exiting through the chimneys at either ends or, when the chimneys are too narrow, by biting through the parchment tube. [5] A nudibranch, Tenellia chaetopterana also lives within the tubes of a species of Chaetopterus. It is hypothesised that this nudibranch feeds on the mucus net which Chaetopterus uses to trap its food or on the faeces of Chaetopterus. Tenellia rolleri is another nudibranch with similar flattened morphology which lives in muddy areas with no obvious food source, but abundant Chaetopterus tubes. It is possible that it lives and feeds in a similar manner. [9]

Related Research Articles

Polychaeta is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. More than 10,000 species are described in this class. Common representatives include the lugworm and the sandworm or clam worm Alitta.

Chaetopterus pugaporcinus, commonly known as the pigbutt worm or flying buttocks, is a species of worm first described by scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in 2007. The worm is round in shape, approximately 10 to 20 millimeters in length, and bears a strong resemblance to a disembodied pair of buttocks. Because of this, it was given a Latin species name that roughly translates to "resembling a pig's rear."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaetopteridae</span> Family of annelid worms

The Chaetopteridae are a family of marine filter-feeding polychaete worms that live in vertical or U-shaped tubes in tunnels buried in the sedimentary or hard substrate of marine environments. The worms are highly adapted to the hard tube they secrete. Inside the tube the animal is segmented and regionally specialized, with highly modified appendages on different segments for cutting the tunnel, feeding, or creating suction for the flow of water through the tube home. The modified segments for feeding are on the 12th segment from the head for members of this family.

<i>Odontosyllis enopla</i> Species of annelid worm

Odontosyllis enopla, commonly known as the Bermuda fireworm, is a polychaete worm that inhabits shallow areas of the western Atlantic Ocean. The organism is bioluminescent when it rises to the surface of the sea during its mating period. It is possible that this fireworm is the explanation of a candle-like light seen by Christopher Columbus during his first voyage on 11 October 1492 before he made landfall in his explorations.

<i>Pomatoceros triqueter</i> Species of annelid worm

Pomatoceros triqueter is a species of tube-building annelid worm in the class Polychaeta. It is common on the north eastern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Sabellastarte spectabilis</i> Species of annelid worm

Sabellastarte spectabilis is a species of benthic marine polychaete worm in the Sabellidae family. It is commonly known as the feather duster worm, feather duster or fan worm. It is native to tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific but has spread to other parts of the world. It is popular in aquariums because of its distinctive appearance and its ability to remove organic particles and improve water quality.

<i>Chaetopterus variopedatus</i> Species of annelid worm

Chaetopterus variopedatus is a species of parchment worm, a marine polychaete in the family Chaetopteridae. It is found worldwide. However, recent discoveries from molecular phylogeny analysis show that Chaetopterus variopedatus sensu Hartman (1959) is not a single species.

Pinnixa chaetopterana, the tube pea crab, is a small decapod crustacean that lives harmlessly within the tube of the polychaete worm, Chaetopterus variopedatus.

<i>Amphitrite ornata</i> Species of annelid worm

Amphitrite ornata or ornate worm, is a species of marine polychaete worm in the family Terebellidae.

<i>Cirratulus cirratus</i> Species of annelid worm

Cirratulus cirratus is a species of marine polychaete worm in the family Cirratulidae. It occurs in the littoral and sub-littoral zones of the Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Lanice conchilega</i> Species of marine worm

Lanice conchilega, commonly known as the sand mason worm, is a species of burrowing marine polychaete worm. It builds a characteristic tube which projects from the seabed, consisting of cemented sand grains and shell fragments with a fringe at the top.

Abarenicola pacifica or the Pacific lugworm is a large species of polychaete worm found on the west coast of North America and also in Japan. The worms live out of sight in burrows under the sand and produce casts which are visible on the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palpata</span> Subclass of annelid worms

Palpata is a subclass of polychaete worm. Members of this subclass are mostly deposit feeders on marine detritus or filter feeders. Palpata has become superfluous with the elevation of Canalipalpata to subclass.

<i>Eudistylia polymorpha</i> Species of annelid

Eudistylia polymorpha, the giant feather duster worm, is a species of marine polychaete worm belonging to the family Sabellidae. Its common name is from the crown of tentacles extended when the animal is under water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annelid</span> Phylum of segmented worms

The annelids, also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecologies – some in marine environments as distinct as tidal zones and hydrothermal vents, others in fresh water, and yet others in moist terrestrial environments.

Odontosyllis phosphorea, commonly known as a fireworm, is a polychaete worm that inhabits the Pacific coast of North and Central America. The organism normally lives in a tube on the seabed, but it becomes bioluminescent when it rises to the surface of the sea during breeding season.

<i>Polydora ciliata</i> Species of annelid

Polydora ciliata is a species of annelid worm in the family Spionidae, commonly known as a bristleworm. It is a burrowing worm and is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and some other parts of the world.

<i>Poecilochaetus serpens</i> Species of annelid worm

Poecilochaetus serpens is a species of marine polychaete worm in the family Poecilochaetidae. It is a benthic worm that burrows into soft sediment.

<i>Buskiella</i> Genus of pelagic polychaetes

Buskiella is a genus of pelagic polychaete annelids placed either in the family Flotidae or Flabelligeridae. In appearance, they are generally bluish or yellowish, depending on lighting conditions, and live exclusively in very deep water. They move by swinging their bodies from side to side, "rowing with [their] bristles." Species have nine to eleven chaetigers.

Diopatra claparedii is a species of tube-building polychaete worm of the family Onuphidae. It is found dispersed along intertidal and subtidal benthic environments of South Asian waters, especially along the coasts of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. This species is exploited by humans for fishing bait, indication of marine pollution, and as gold and silver nanoparticle biosynthesis agents.

References

  1. ↑ Gibson, Robin (2005). Oceanography and marine biology an annual review. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis. ISBN   0-8493-3597-3.
  2. ↑ "Marine Biological Laboratory, MBL :: Marine Organisms:: Marine Organisms Database". Archived from the original on 2008-06-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Irvine, Steven Q.; Oleg Chaga; Mark W. Martindale (December 1999). "Larval Ontogenetic Stages of Chaetopterus: Developmental Heterochrony in the Evolution of Chaetopterid Polychaetes". Biological Bulletin. 197 (3): 319–331. doi:10.2307/1542786. JSTOR   1542786. PMID   10630333.
  4. 1 2 3 Pleijel, Fredrik; Rouse, Greg W. (2001). Polychaetes. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-850608-2.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Gray, I. E. (June 1961). "Changes in Abundance of the Commensal Crabs of Chaetopterus". Biological Bulletin. 120 (3): 353–359. doi:10.2307/1539537. JSTOR   1539537.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Fox, Richard Wightman; Ruppert, Edward E. (1988). Seashore animals of the Southeast: a guide to common shallow- water invertebrates of the southeastern Atlantic Coast. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN   0-87249-535-3.
  7. ↑ Osamu Shimomura (2006). Bioluminescence: Chemical Principles And Methods. World Scientific Publishing Company. ISBN   981-256-801-8.
  8. ↑ Haig J.(1960) The Porcellanidae (Crustacea, Anomura) of the Eastern Pacific. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions 24, 1–440.
  9. ↑ Ekimova I., Deart Y. & Schepetov D. (2017). Living with a giant parchment tube worm: a description of a new nudibranch species (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) associated with the annelid Chaetopterus. Marine Biodiversity. DOI 10.1007/s12526-017-0795-z.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.