Chaetopterus variopedatus

Chaetopterus variopedatus, the parchment worm or Shining bristle -finned fishes, one of the Chaetopteridae and thus the Vielborstern ( polychaetes ).

Description

The parchment worm is about 25 cm long ( then 85 segments) and has 2 cm in diameter. The color is greenish yellow to whitish, older males are white, female orange. The body is elongated and broken. The front nine, the middle part five segments and the rump with 20-70 bristles ( Chaetae ). The pygidium has no appendages. The head ( prostomium ) is narrow, disc-shaped, with two eyes without antenna. It is ventrally and laterally enclosed by the U-shaped peristome. The peristome has two tentacles. Except in the Arctic, it is mainly found worldwide in soft sedimentary soils in the benthos, where it forms by yielding up mucus solidifying a U-shaped tube that is open at two ends and the ends of which protrude from the sand.

Ingestion

C. variopedatus has heavily modified parapodia. In the back there are three Notopodien that fill the space between the body of the worm and the tube and hit by muscle power back and forth. This results in a flow of water from the front to the rear end of the tube. In the head region are two Notopodien, forming a circle. At the two tips of mucus is secreted, which is by the water flow into a bag. This is again later collected and rolled up by a third Notopodus the body. Water flowing through the food particles can be included, such as microalgae and bacteria. The slime bag is regularly transported, received and renewed to the mouth.

Special

Chaetopterus variopedatus has in irritation over blue bioluminescence.