Flabelligeridae Temporal range: | |
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Diplocirrus glaucus | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Annelida |
Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
Clade: | Sedentaria |
Order: | Terebellida |
Suborder: | Cirratuliformia |
Family: | Flabelligeridae Saint-Joseph, 1894 |
Type genus | |
Flabelligera Sars, 1829 | |
Synonyms | |
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Flabelligeridae is a family of polychaete worms, known as bristle-cage worms, notable for their cephalic cage: long slender chaetae forming a fan-like arrangement surrounding the eversible (able to be turned inside-out) head. [1] [2] Unlike many polychaetes, they also have large, pigmented, complex eyes. [3] [4]
These worms live under stones and are known to burrow into sand. [5] They have a cosmopolitan distribution and live in a variety of marine habitats, from the deep sea to shallow coastal regions. [6]
The first species was Amphridite plumosa , described from Norway. Flabelligerids were placed in various similar polychaete families until Saint-Joseph erected the family (under the name Flabelligeriens) in 1894. [5] [7]
Mazopherusa is a possible fossil example from the Carboniferous; other fossil material is only dubiously assigned to the family. [1] The Cambrian Iotuba also may belong to the family, however it also appears similar to Acrocirridae. [8]