A

Presentation
on
Annelida

Submitted By: Submitted To:

B.Sc
1st Year
 INTRODUCTION
• Annelida is a group commonly referred to as segmented worms,
and they are found worldwide from the deepest marine sediments
to the soils in our city parks and yards.
• Through most of the 20th century Annelida was split into three
major groups;
– Polychaeta,
– Oligochaeta (earthworms etc.)
– Hirudinea (leeches)
– Earthworms and leeches are the familiar annelids for most people, but
polychaetes comprise the bulk of the diversity of Annelida and are
found in nearly every marine habitat, from intertidal algal mats
downwards. There are even pelagic polychaetes that swim or drift,
preying on other plankton, and a few groups occurring in fresh water
and moist terrestrial surroundings.
• Around 9000 species of polychaetes are currently recognized with
several thousand more names in synonymy,
 General Characters of Annelida
1. Annelida are mostly aquatic; marine or freshwater, some terrestrial, bun-
owing or living in tubes, sedentary or free-living. Some are commensal and
parasitic also.

2. Body triploblastic, bilaterally symmetrical, elongated and vermiform.

3. Body metamerically segmented; externally by transverse grooves and

internally by septa into a number of divisions; each division is called a
segment, metamere or somite.

4. Organ-system grade of body organisation.

5. Outer covering of the body is cuticle secreted by the underlying

epidermis.

6. Body wall is contractile, consisting of an outer epidermis, circular and

longitudinal muscles.
Cont…
7. Appendages when present are un-jointed.

8. Locomotory organs are segmentally arranged paired setae.

9. Presence of a true schizocoelous coelom usually divided into a

large number of compartments by inter-segmental septa.

10. Alimentary canal is tube-like, complete, extending from mouth to anus.

11. Respiration occurs through general body surface, in some cases by gills also.

12. Blood vascular system is closed type, blood is red due to the presence of
haemoglobin or erythrocruorin found dissolved in the plasma.

13. Excretion by segmentally arranged nephridia which usually communicate the

coelom to exterior.

14. Nervous system with a pair of cerebral ganglia, the brain and a double nerve cord
having segmentally arranged ganglia.
Cont.

15. The tactile organs, taste buds, statocysts, photoreceptor cells and eyes are
the receptor organs.
16. Usually monoecious, i.e., hermaphrodite; dioecious or unisexual forms also
present.
17. Development direct in monoecious forms but indirect in dioecious forms.
18. A free-swimming trochophore larval stage is characteristic in case of indirect
development, while in others this stage is passed during the development.
19. Asexual reproduction also occurs in some forms.
Classification of Annelids
Polychaeta (Gk. polys-many + chaete = hair)
• They have well developed Para podia with numerous setae.
The development is indirect, undergoing metamorphosis with
a free swimming trochophore larva.
 Polychaeta
1. Polychaeta are marine and carnivorous.
2. Body is elongated and segmented.
3. Head consists of prostomium and peristomium and bears eyes,
tentacles, cirri and palps, etc.
4. Setae are numerous and are borne up on lateral prominences of the
body wall known as Para podia.
5. Clitellum is absent.
6. Cirri or branchiae or both may be present for respiration.
7. Coelom is spacious usually divided by inter-segmental septa.
8. Alimentary canal is provided with an eversible buccal region and
protrusible pharynx.
9. Excretory organs are segmentally paired nephridia.
10. Sexes separate, fertilisation external, free swimming larval stage
trochophore.
11. Asexual reproduction by lateral budding
 Oligochaeta
Oligochaeta:(Gr., oligos =few + chaete = setae):

1. Mostly terrestrial or some freshwater forms.

2. Body with conspicuous external and internal
segmentation.
3. Distinct head, eyes and tentacles are absent.
4. Parapodia are absent.
5. Setae are usually arranged segmentally.
6. Clitellum is usually present.
7. Pharynx is not eversible and without jaws.
8. Hermaphrodite, i.e., sexes united.
9. Development is direct and takes place within cocoons
secreted by clitellum; no free larval stage.
 Hirudinea:(L., hirudo = a leech):
1. Mostly ectoparasitic and freshwater forms, while few are marine
feeding upon fishes and other animals.
2. Body is elongated usually flattened dorsoventrally or cylindrical.
3. Body consists of definite number of segments, each segment breaks
up into 2 to 4 rings or annuli.
4. Parapodia and setae are absent.
5. Body is provided with an anterior and a posterior sucker, both
situated ventrally.
6. Mouth opens on the ventral surface in the anterior sucker, while
anus opens dorsal to the posterior sucker.
7. Hermaphrodite, i.e., sexes united; reproduction sexual.
8. Asexual reproduction is not known.
9. Eggs are usually laid in cocoons.
10. Development is direct without free swimming larval stage.
Hirudinea
Thank you