| Chaetopterus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chaetopterus sp. | |
| |
| Photo of Chaetopterus variopedatus (smaller Lanice conchilega in front) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Order: | Spionida |
| Family: | Chaetopteridae |
| Genus: | Chaetopterus Cuvier, 1827 |
Chaetopterus or the parchment worm or parchment tube worm is a genus of marine polychaete worm that lives in a tube it constructs in sediments or attaches to a rocky or coral reef substrate.[1][2][3] The common name arises from the parchment-like appearance of the tubes that house these worms.[3] Parchment tube worms are filter feeders and spend their adult lives in their tubes, unless the tube is damaged or destroyed. They are planktonic in their juvenile forms, as is typical for polychaete annelids. Species include the recently discovered deep water Chaetopterus pugaporcinus and the well-studied Chaetopterus variopedatus.
- ^ Gibson, Robin (2005). Oceanography and marine biology an annual review. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-8493-3597-3.
- ^ "Marine Biological Laboratory, MBL :: Marine Organisms:: Marine Organisms Database". Archived from the original on 2008-06-10.
- ^ a b Irvine, Steven Q.; Oleg Chaga; Mark W. Martindale (December 1999). "Larval Ontogenetic Stages of Chaetopterus: Developmental Heterochrony in the Evolution of Chaetopterid Polychaetes". Biological Bulletin. 197 (3): 319–331. doi:10.2307/1542786. JSTOR 1542786. PMID 10630333.