Canalipalpata | |
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Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) in East Timor. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Annelida |
Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
Clade: | Sedentaria |
Infraclass: | Canalipalpata |
Suborders | |
Canalipalpata, also known as bristle-footed annelids or fan-head worms, is an order of polychaete worms, with 31 families in it including the suborder Sabellida (families Serpulidae (tubeworms) and Sabellidae (fanworms and feather duster worms) and the Alvinellidae, a family of deep-sea worms associated with hydrothermal vents.
The Canalipalpata have no teeth or jaws.[1] Most are filter feeders. They have grooved palpi, which are covered in cilia. These cilia are used to transport food particles to the mouth. However, the cilia and grooves have been lost in the Siboglinidae family.[2]