Chaetopterus variopedatus

Chaetopterus variopedatus
C. variopedatus(figure 3)
Photo of Chaetopterus variopedatus behind the smaller Lanice conchilega
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Clade:	Pleistoannelida
Clade:	Sedentaria
Order:	Spionida
Family:	Chaetopteridae
Genus:	Chaetopterus
Species:	C. variopedatus
Binomial name
Chaetopterus variopedatus Renier, 1804
Synonyms
C. afer Quatrefages, 1866 C. antarcticus Kinberg, 1866 C. appendiculatus Grube, 1874 C. australis Quatrefages, 1866 C. brevis Lespés, 1872 C. capensis Stimpson, 1856 C. cautus Marenzeller, 1879 C. crosslandi Caullery, 1944 C. hamatus Schmarda, 1961 C. insignis Baird, 1864 C. kagosimensis Izuka, 1911 C. leuckarti Quatrefages, 1866 C. longimanus Crossland, 1904 C. longipes Crossland, 1904 C. luteus Stimpson, 1856 C. macropus Schmarda, 1861 C. norvegicus M. Sars, 1835 C. pergamentaceus Cuvier, 1827 C. quatrefagesii Jourdain, 1868 C. sarsi Boeck in Sars, 1860 C. sarsii Boeck in Sars, 1860 C. takahashii Izuka, 1911 C. valencinii Quatrefages, 1866 C. variopedatus macropus Schmarda, 1861 Tricoelia variopedatus Renier, 1804

Chaetopterus variopedatus is a species of parchment worm, a marine polychaete in the family Chaetopteridae. It is found worldwide. However, recent discoveries from molecular phylogeny analysis show that Chaetopterus variopedatus sensu Hartman (1959) is not a single species.

Polychaetes, or marine bristle worms, have elongated bodies divided into many segments. Each segment may bear setae (bristles) and parapodia (paddle-like appendages). Some species live freely, either swimming, crawling or burrowing, and these are known as "errant". Others live permanently in tubes, either calcareous or parchment-like, and these are known as "sedentary".