Spionida | |
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Magelona johnstoni with long feeding palps. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Annelida |
Class: | Polychaeta |
Subclass: | Sedentaria |
Infraclass: | Canalipalpata |
Order: | Spionida |
Families | |
Several, see text |
Several, see text
Spionida is an order of marine polychaete worms in the subclass Canalipalpata. Spionids are cosmopolitan and live in soft substrates in the littoral or neritic zones.
Spionids have a single pair of flexible feeding tentacles with grooves, arising directly from the prostomium. The mouth has no jaws and the pharynx is partly eversible. Some species have small eye spots and some a central sensory lobe. Some of the anterior segments paired gills. The parapodia or lateral lobes have large lamellae. The chaetae are unbranched capillaries, spines and hooks.