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ANNELIDA CLASSIFICATION

Characteristic Features of Phylum Annelida:

1. Triploblastic animals with bilateral symmetry.

2. Body soft, vermiform and more or less elongated.

3. Body metamerically segmented and covered by a thin cuticle which protects the body.

4. Head comprised of prostomium and peristomium. Prostomium contains head and sensory
appendages.

5. Locomotory organs of Phylum Annelida are epidermal chitinous bristles, called setae or chaetae
(lost in leeches and in a few groups of polychaetes).

6. Body cavity of Phylum Annelida is a true coelom which lies between the two layers of mesoderm.

7. Digestive tract straight, tubular running from the anterior mouth to the posterior anus.

8. Digestion is completely extracellular in Phylum Annelida.

9. Gas exchange performed either by general body surface, provided that it is kept moist, or by gills
in some tube- dwellers (e.g., Arenicola, Cirratulus, etc.).

10. Closed blood vascular system with dorsal and ventral longitudinal vessels connected by smaller
vessels. The dorsal vessel acts as pumping vessel. The closed, circulatory system is reduced or absent
in leeches.

11. Respiratory pigments are red haemoglobins or green chlorocruorins. Both pigments are found in
blood plasma, not in the R.B.C. as found in vertebrates. Haemerythrin is also present in some
polychaetes.

12. Nervous system represented by cerebral ganglia (supra-pharyngeal ganglia) and double ventral
nerve cord with segmentally arranged ganglia and lateral nerves.

13. Excretory system are nephridia (protonephridia) in some, and segmentally coiled tubes open at
both ends, called metanephrfdia.

14. Animals often provided with coelomoducts which are channels for the outward passage of
reproductive elements.

15. Gonads develop from coelomic epithelium.

16. Sexes united or separate (gonochoristic), e.g., polychaetes.

17. Development direct (e.g., Oligochaeta or Hirudinea) or indirect (e.g., Polychaeta, Archiannelida).

18. Cleavage spiral.

19. Larval stage when present is a trochophore.

Classification with Characters:

Class 1. Polychaeta (Gk. poly – many + chaeta = setae):

Characters:

1. Body elongated, segmented with identical, cylindrical body segments.

2. Anterior end modified into a head.

3. A distrinct head bears sensory appendages, such as eyes, antennae, cirri and palps.

4. Numerous setae on the trunk segments, hence called polychaeta.

5. Each body segment bears a pair of fleshy, lateral, paddle-like outgrowths, called parapodia, bearing
numerous long setae in setigerous sacs. The parapodia act as locomotory and respiratory organs.

6. Parapodia basically biramous and supported by acicula.

7. Clitellum absent.
8. Alimentary canal is provided with an eversible buccal region and protrusible pharynx.

9. Highly vascularised gills are present in most large-sized polychaetes used for gas exchange.

10. Brain complex is same than oligochaeta and divided into 3 regions:

(i) Fore- brain

(ii) Mid-brain and

(iii) Hind-brain.

11. Protonephridia present in a number of families. Segmental metanephridial systems in most cases.

12. Sexes separate (gonochoristic) in most.

13. Epitoky, a reproductive phenomenon seen in some polychaetes (e.g., nereids, syllids and
eunicids).

14. Fertilization external.

15. A trochophore larval stage in the life cycle.

16. Exclusively marine, and mostly carnivorous but some are herbivorous.

(A) Group I.[Sub class] Polychaeta errantia (Wandering polychaetes) [L. mantis = wandering]:

Characters:

(i) Numerous and usually similar segments.

(ii) Well developed parapodia with acicula and setae.

(iii) Head with a distinct prostomium bearing sensory structures and peristomium with mouth.

(iv) Pharynx usually protrusible with chitinous jaws and teeth.

(v) Branchiae, when present, not found in the anterior end.

Habitat:

Pelagic, crawling, burrowing and tube-dwelling forms.

Examples:

Aphrodite(sea mouse), Nereis(ragworms), Glycera(tongue worm)

(B) Group II.[Sub class] Polychaeta Sedentaria (Sedentary polychaetes) [L. sedentarius =
sitting]:

Features:

(i) Body of two or more regions with dissimilar segments and parapodia.

(ii) Reduced parapodia without acicula.

(iii) Head poorly developed and provided with palps and tentacles,

(iv) Prostomium without sensory appendages.

(v) Pharynx usually non-protrusible, and without jaws and teeth.

(vi) Branchiae, when present—usually present in the anterior end.

Habitat:

Sedentary, burrowing and tubicolous worms, feed in detritus or plankton.

Examples:

Chaetopterus(paddle worms),Arenicola(lugworms.)Sabella(fanworms)

Archiannelida (Gk. archi – first):

Features:

(i) Heterogenous minor group.

(ii) Body small, simple, elongated and vermiform.

(iii) Simplified structure.

(iv) External segmentations indistinct but internal segmentation present.

(v) Setae and parapodia usually absent.

(vi) Head bears sense organs,

(vii) Unisexual or hermaphrodite.

(viii) Blood vascular system simple or lacking.

(ix) Larva trochophore.

(x) Marine, brackish or freshwater species.

Examples: Nerilla, Troglochaetus, Polygordius, Protodrilus, Dinophilus, Trilobodrilus.

Class 2. Oligochaeta (Gk. Oligos = few + L. chaetae = bristles):

Characters:

1. Streamlined body with well-developed segmentation and a simple prostomium without sensory
appendages, such as eyes, and tentacles.

2. Head indistinct.

3. Clitellum present.

4. Parapodia and cirri absent.

5. Setae less distributed along the body.

6. Usually no respiratory organs except a few species (e.g., Dero, Branchiura, etc.) which possess true
gills. Gas exchange takes place by diffusion through the moist body wall.

7. Excretory system metanephridial type.

8. Brain simple type with ventral nerve cords.

9. They are hermaphrodites.

10. Fertilization (cross-fertilization) occurs externally.

11. Development direct and takes place within cocoon secreted by the clitellum.

12. Asexual reproduction usually common in freshwater species and involves by the transverse
division of the adult body.

13. No larval stage in the life cycle.

Habitat:

Most species are found in freshwater or terrestrial habitats, a few species are marine.

Order 1. Lumbriculida:

(i) 4 pairs setae in each segment.

(ii) Clitellum consists of a single celled layer.

(iii) Male and female gonopores in the clitellum.

(iv) Male pores anterior to female pores.

(v) Inhabitants of freshwater.

Examples: Lumbriculus, Rhynchelmis, Styloscolex.

Order 2. Tubificida:

(i) Setae present in bundles with two or more setae.

(ii) Clitellum consists of a single-celled layer.

(iii) Male and female gonopores in the clitellum.

(iv) Male gonopore in front of the female gonopore.

(v) One pair of testes followed by a pair of ovaries.

(vi) Mostly aquatic.

Examples:

Tubifex, Branchiura, Nais, Dero, Chaetogaster.

Order 3. Haplotaxida:

(i) Setae simple or forked, and may be 4 or 8 or sometimes multiplied in a ring in each segment.

(ii) Clitellum composed of two or more layers of cells.

(iii) Female gonopores always on the 14th segment and male gonopore a few segments behind them.

(iv) One pair of testes or ovaries or both often absent.

(v) Aquatic or semi-terrestrial.

Examples:

Alluroides, Drawidia, Lumbri- cus, Megascolides, Megascolex, Pheretima, Eudrilus.

Class 3. Hirudinea (L Hirudo = a leech):

Characters:

1. Body consists of definite and limited number of segments.

2. Trunk consists of 21 segments with preclitellar region, clitellum and post clitellar region.

3. Clitellum includes 3 segments and never conspicuous except reproductive period.

4. Segments are marked externally by secondary rings or annuli.

5. Usually with a small suctorial anterior sucker and a large powerful posterior sucker.

6. Parapodia and head appendages absent.

7. Coelom generally reduced by the presence of connective tissue, called botryoidal tissue, and
muscles.

8. Both sinuses and muscular blood vessels present.

9. Excretory organs include segmentally arranged 10 to 17 pairs of metanephria.

10. Asexual reproduction absent.

11. Hermaphrodite.

12. Gonads and gonoducts restricted to anterior few segments.

13. Fertilization internal.

14. Development direct and takes place within cocoons secreted by clitellum.

Habit and Habitat:

They are either free living or permanently or intermittently ectoparasites. In freshwater large number
of species prey on invertebrates rather than blood sucking species but most marine species are
ectoparasites on fishes.

Order 1. Acanthobdellida:

(i) Short proboscis.

(ii) Anterior sucker absent but posterior sucker well developed.

(iii) Setae present in the anterior five segments (an exceptional case) and a compartmented coelom.

(iv) Parasite on salmonid fish.

A primitive order which forms a connecting link between Oligochaeta and Hirudinea. This order
contains a single genus with a single species.

Example:

Acanthobdella.

Order 2. Rhynchobdellida:

(i) Anterior part of the body can be protruded or retracted as proboscis.

(ii) Anterior sucker present.

(iii) Jaw and setae absent.

(iv) Each typical body segment contains 3, 6 or 12 annuli.

(v) Colourless blood.

(vi) Coelom reduced to sinuses without botryoidal tissues.

(vii) No penis.

(viii) All are aquatic, ectoparasites of both invertebrates and vertebrates in fresh- Water and marine
habitats.

Examples:

Glossiphonia (parasite on aquatic snails); Piscicola, Pontobdella (parasite on fish or other aquatic
vertebrates); Ozobranchus (parasite on turtles and crocodiles).

Order 3. Arhynchobdellida:

(i) Non-eversible pharynx present.

(ii) Anterior sucker with 3 pairs of jaws (e.g., Hirudinidae) or jaws absent (e.g., Erpobdellidae).

(iii) Each typical body segment contains 5 annuli.

(iv) Blood red coloured.

(v) Botryoidal tissue present.

(vi) Fertilization by the insertion of penis.

(vii) Aquatic and terrestrial leeches.

Examples: Hirudo(leech), Hirudinaria granularia(cattle leech)

** Due to similarities in several points between Polychaeta and Hirudinea, such as:

(i) Absence of parapodia and sensory cephalic appendages,

(ii) Presence of clitellum,

(iii) Both groups are hermaphrodites and

(iv) Development within cocoons, many authors suggest that they have evolved from a common
ancestor and to be mono- phyletic.

Hence, the two groups are generally considered as subclass within the class Clitellata.