| Flabelligeridae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| | |
| 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 | |
| |
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]