Annelida

CE5

A. The earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, representative of the phylum Annelida. B. Internal anatomy of an earthworm.

Annelida ənĕlˈĭdə [key] [Lat., anellus=a ring], phylum of soft-bodied, bilaterally symmetrical (see symmetry, biological), segmented animals, known as the segmented, or annelid, worms. Over 12,000 known species are grouped in three classes: the earthworms and freshwater worms (oligochaetes), the leeches (hirudineans), and the marine worms (polychaetes). Annelids are found throughout the world, from deep ocean bottoms to high mountain glaciers. They live in protected habitats such as mud, sand, and rock crevices, and in and among other invertebrate animals, such as sponges. Many live in tubes they secrete around themselves.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Leech Reproduction
• Leech Predation and Digestion
• Leech Anatomy
• Class Hirudinea
• Oligochaete Reproduction
• Oligochaete Circulation and Respiration
• Oligochaete Digestion
• Oligochaete Anatomy
• Class Oligochaeta
• Archiannelida and Myzostomaria
• Polychaete Reproduction
• Polychaete Anatomy
• Sedentary Polychaetes
• Errant Polychaetes
• Class Polychaeta
• Reproduction
• The Nervous System
• Respiration
• Circulation
• Digestion
• The Body Wall
• Segmented Bodies
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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