Definition of polychaeta Polychaeta

Pol•y•chae•ta

We found 4 definitions of polychaeta from 4 different sources.

What does polychaeta mean?

Noun
polychaeta - marine annelid worms
		class Polychaeta
		class elegance in dress or behavior; "she has a lot of class"
		annelida, phylum annelida segmented worms: earthworms; lugworms; leeches
		polychaete, polychaete worm, polychete, polychete worm chiefly marine annelids possessing both sexes and having paired appendages (parapodia) bearing bristles
		lobworm, lugworm, lug marine worms having a row of tufted gills along each side of the back; often used for fishing bait

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polychaeta (n. pl.)
One of the two principal groups of Chaetopoda. It includes those that have prominent parapodia and fascicles of setae. See Illust. under Parapodia.

Polychateta (more commonly called Polychaetes, or bristle worms) are a class of annelids. They are generally found in a marine environment. Each of their body segments has some fleshy protrusions that stand out. These protrusions usually have many bristles, which are made of chitin. There are more than 10.000 known species in this class. It is different from the "Oligochaeta". Oligochaeta are similar in design, but only have a few bristles. Common animals of the group are the lugworm, and the clam worm "Nereis" (which is sometimes also called sandworm).