Polychaeta

There is a group known as the Polychaeta. They are the most common of marine organisms, are can be found at the great depths such as the ocean floor, or near the surface, in the mud of the beach. Some - like the Eunice gigantea - can reach even three meters.

They have many species - lungworm, clamworm, bristleworm, fire worm, palolo worm, to name some. But they have one feature in common ( apart from the name's ending in worms - this does not apply to all of them, and even if it did, it would not be a common feature ). Polychaetes have bristles on their legs ( which are many, to start with ). The name itself means many bristles.

Canadia and other earlier polychaetes did not possess a jaw, but the later ones developed some, which are at times, minilerized with iron oxide. These jaws are common, in fossils. The term to describe them is scolecodonts. Some well preserved ones are found in Sweden. There are 20 species found. This is evidence, that they were there more than 400 million years ago, and had developed and diversified.

Other fossils include tracks, burrows. Many secrete a lining for the burrow, or around their bodies. These may be found as fossils, though rare.

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