| Aeolosomatidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Aeolosoma | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Polychaeta |
| Order: | incertae sedis |
| Family: | Aeolosomatidae Beddard, 1895 |
| Genera | |
The Aeolosomatidae is a family of very small, aquatic annelid worms, between 0.3 and 10 mm in length and 0.04-0.06 mm in diameter. About 30 species have been described in three genera. These worms are known as suction-feeding worms and occupy freshwater, brackish, and saltwater habitats. They are bottom and sediment dwellers, inhabiting spaces around aquatic plants and the detritus-rich sands and sediments of freshwater habitats (microfauna)
Ecology
Aeolosomatids feed on microalgae, microorganisms, and detritus. They place their prostomia over the substrate and create a vacuum, swallowing small particles and their attached algae. They are able to reproduce sexually, but most reproduction is asexual. This is done by paratomy/fission (fragmentation) as posterior segments break away or detach from the parent worm. This begins when the worm reaches a determined number of millimeters (depending on the species), which gives rise to the clonal production of a chain of filial zooids that detach themselves from the parental zooid in a few days.
References
- WoRMS (2015). "Aeolosomatidae Beddard, 1895". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ "Family Aeolosomatidae". Key to Australian Freshwater and Terrestrial Invertebrates. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ "Aeolosomatidae data - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2021-03-08.