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Oweniidae
Family of annelid worms From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Oweniidae is a family of marine polychaete worms in the clade Palaeoannelida.[1] The worms live in tubes made of sand and are selective filter feeders,[2] detritivores and grazers.[3]
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Characteristics
Members of this family live in tubes made of sand and shell fragments. The head of the worm does not bear a proboscis, but has the mouth at the tip rimmed by some very short tentacles. The body segments lack parapodia and are smooth elongated cylinders. There are a large number of hooked chaetae or bristles on a small pad on the ventral side of each segment. These chaetae have two parallel teeth resembling claws which is a feature that distinguishes members of this family from other polychaetes. The posterior tip bears different appendages in different genera. Family members are unique in having a bell-shaped larval stage known as a mitraria larva. At one time the family was classified as the Ammocharidae.[2]
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Genera
References
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