Oweniidae
Family of annelid worms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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][4][5]
| Oweniidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Owenia fusiformis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Palaeoannelida |
| Family: | Oweniidae Rioja, 1917 |
| Genera | |
| |
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]
