Bristle-worms

Polychaetes are among the commonest and most diverse creatures on the shore, with almost 800 species occuring in southern Africa. Polychaeta is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms. Polychates include species that can survive and thrive in the coldest ocean temperatures of the abyssal plain, to the extremely high temperatures near hydrothermal vents.

All have a head with a snout-like projection (i.e., the prostomium) and a cylindrical front segment that surrounds the mouth (i.e., the peristomium). In some species, however, the head is elaborately modified into beautiful fans or tufts of tentacles that are used for feeding. The body is divided into segments, each with a pair of lateral leg-like protuberances (i.e., parapodia) that carry one or two tufts of bristles made of chitin (i.e., setae).

Fertilisation is external, and the larvae are tiny and planktonic.

Some species are not easy to identify from photographs, and drawings of their diagnostic features should accompany the photographs.

Species Gallery