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polychaete |
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polychaeteAny of about 5,400 species of marine worms of the annelid class Polychaeta, having a segmented body with many setae (bristles) on each segment. Species, often brightly coloured, range from less than 1 in. (2.5 cm) to about 10 ft (3 m) long. Most body segments bear two bristly parapodia (lobelike outgrowths). The head has short sensory projections and tentacles. Adults may be free-swimming or sedentary; larvae are free-swimming. Found worldwide, polychaetes are important for turning over sediment on the ocean bottom. One species, the bloodworm, is a popular saltwater fish bait. See also tube worm. |
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Our focus is on polysaccharide preservation driven by microfabric signatures formed as clay passes through the guts of deposit-feeding polychaete worms. Studying the bottom-dwelling communities in the bay, Oliver and his colleagues have found that pollution has driven away most of the organisms typically found in this ecosystem, leaving the region to be colonized by opportunistic "weedy" species such as polychaete worms. These polychaete worms build large reef-like mounds made up of single-worm tube shelters. |
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