Sabellidae, or feather duster worms, are a family of marine

polychaete Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine Annelid, annelid worms, common name, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called c ...

tube worm A tubeworm is any worm-like sessile invertebrate that anchors its tail to an underwater surface and secretes around its body a mineral tube, into which it can withdraw its entire body. Tubeworms are found among the following taxa: * Annelida, the ...

s characterized by protruding feathery branchiae. Sabellids build tubes out of a tough,

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

-like exudate, strengthened with sand and bits of shell. Unlike the other sabellids, the genus '' Glomerula'' secretes a tube of

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

instead. Sabellidae can be found in

subtidal The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminate ...

habitats around the world. Their oldest fossils are known from the

Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic� ...

Characteristics

Feather-duster worms have a crown of feeding appendages or

radiole A radiole is a heavily ciliated feather-like tentacle found in highly organized clusters on the crowns of Canalipalpata. Canalipalpata is an order of sessile marine polychaete worms consisting of 31 families (including the Sabellidae, Serpulida ...

s in two fan-shaped clusters projecting from their tubes when under water. Each radiole has paired side branches making a two-edged comb for filter feeding. Most species have a narrow collar below the head. The body segments are smooth and lack

parapodia In invertebrates, the term parapodium ( Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; : parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in annelids, where they are paired, unjointed late ...

. The usually eight thoracic segments bear capillaries dorsally and hooked

chaeta A chaeta or cheta (; ) is a chitinous bristle or seta found on annelid worms, although the term is also frequently used to describe similar structures in other invertebrates such as arthropods. Polychaete annelids (''polychaeta'' literally me ...

e (bristles) ventrally. The abdominal segments are similar, but with the position of the capillaries and chaetae reversed. The posterior few abdominal segments may form a spoon-shaped hollow on the ventral side. Size varies between tiny and over 10 cm (4 in) long. Some small species can bend over and extend their tentacles to the sea floor to collect

detritus In biology, detritus ( or ) is organic matter made up of the decomposition, decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces. Detritus usually hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decomposition, decompose (Reminera ...

Genera

The following genera belong to the family: *'' Acromegalomma'' *'' Amphicorina'' *'' Amphiglena'' *'' Anamobaea'' *'' Aracia'' *''

Bispira ''Bispira'' is a genus of marine bristleworm in the family Sabellidae. Its members were initially included in genus ''Sabella'' by Grube in 1851. In 1856, Krøyer described ''Bispira'' as a separate genus. Members of ''Bispira'' are defined by ...

'' *'' Branchiomma'' *'' Chone'' *'' Claviramus'' *'' Clymeneis'' *''

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venice, Italy, Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello (char ...

'' *'' Dialychone'' *'' Euchone'' *'' Eudistylia'' *'' Euratella'' *'' Fabricia'' *'' Fabriciola'' *'' Glomerula'' *'' Haplobranchus'' *'' Hypsicomus'' *'' Jasmineira'' *''

Laonome In Greek mythology, the name Laonome (Ancient Greek: 'law of the people' derived from ''laos "''people" and ''nomos'', "law") may refer to: *Laonome, daughter of Guneus, possible spouse of Alcaeus and mother of Amphitryon, Anaxo and Perimede. ...

'' *''

Manayunkia ''Manayunkia'' is a genus of annelids belonging to the family Fabriciidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface ...

'' *'' Megalomma'' *'' Myxicola'' *'' Notaulax'' *'' Novafabricia'' *'' Oriopsis'' *'' Panoumethus'' *'' Panousea'' *'' Parasabella'' *'' Perkinsiana'' *'' Potamethus'' Chamberlin, 1919WoRMS
129543
/ref> *'' Potamilla'' *'' Pseudobranchiomma'' *'' Pseudofabricia'' *'' Pseudofabriciola'' *'' Pseudopotamilla'' *'' Sabella'' *'' Sabellastarte'' *'' Sabellomma'' *'' Sabellonga'' *'' Schizobranchia'' *'' Terebrasabella''

References

External links

Potamilla reniformisMBL Marine Organisms Database page
{{Authority control Sabellida Annelid families Extant Jurassic first appearances