Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of The Polychaeta are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Polychaetes range from microscopic to 10
Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of The Polychaeta are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Polychaetes range from microscopic to 10 feet long, the average being 4 inches. Most polychaetes crawl on the ocean floor, but others have modified body structures to adapt to various ecological niches. Augeneriella dubia, a microscopic polychaete (also known as a micro-polychaete, feather duster worm, bristle worm or fan worm), has a segmented body topped by a radial crown made up of 3 pairs of finger-like radioli (tentacles, shown here) that function in filter feeding and respiration. The head includes a pair of antennae, tentacle-like palps (only 1 palp is shown here), and a pair of cilia-lined pits known as nuchal organs. These appear to be chemoreceptors that help the worm find food. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions (parapodia) bearing many chitinous bristles (chaetae) used for movement. Magnification x35 when shortest
Size: 2750px × 3750px
Photo credit: © DENNIS KUNKEL MICROSCOPY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 211149-50c, annelid, annelida, annelids, antenna, antennae, augeneriella, bristle, bristle-footed, bristles, canalipalpata, chaeta, chaetae, chemoreceptor, chemoreceptors, chitin, chitinous, cilia, cilium, colored, coloured, crown, dubia, duster, electron, fabricinae, false-colored, false-coloured, fan, fan-head, feather, feeder, feeders, feeding, filter, footed, hawaii, head, intertidal, marine, micro, micro-polychaete, micro-polychaetes, micrograph, microscopic, nuchal, ocean, organ, organs, pacific, palpata, palps, parapodia, parapodium, polychaete, polychaetes, radial, radioli, ring, sabellid, sabellida, sabellidae, sabellids, scanning, sem, seta, setae, tentacle, tentacles, tube, tubeworm, tubicolous, worm, worms, zone, zones
