POLYCHAETOUS ANNELIDS

The class Polychaeta ("poly-keet-a") consists of a very diverse group of segmented worms (unlike round worms or flatworms, which are not segmented) that live primarily in ocean habitats from tidepools to the deepest ocean floor. Although polychaetes are largely unknown to most people that visit the seashore, our understanding of the impacts of human activities on the oceans can be monitored accurately only through the careful study of these denizens of the deep.

The Polychaete Department, staffed by a Curator and Collections Manager, maintains active research programs ranging from basic polychaete systematics, to the study of evolutionary relationships within particular polychaete families, to investigations into philosophy of biology that impinge on how evolutionary biology operates within the scope of the nature of science.

Support the Polychaetes Department by making a donation to the NHM annual fund today and help us learn more about these fascinating worms!