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Phylum Annelida
Polychaeta(Earthworm), Oligochaeta(Nereis), and Hirudinea(Leech)

Characteristics of Phylum Annelida

1. They have a long and metamerically segmented body. This is the most distinwuishing feature of annelids
2. Annelids are bilaterally symmetrical.
3. They triploblastic (have 3 germ layers).
4. Also, they exhibit organ system grade of organization, showing organ differentiation.
5. The body is covered with a thin cuticle.
6. They are coelomate. A body cavity or coelom is present.
7. Annelids live in moist environments, moist soil, freshwater and marine water.
8. They have parapodia and chitinous setae used for locomotion.
9. Their body appears red due to the presence of haemoglobin.
10. Excretory is present and is made of nephridia
11. The nervous systems are present with a cerebral ganglion which is the central brin-like organ of these organisms.
12. The digestive system is complete and developed.
13. Respiration happens through the general body surface.
14. These invertebrates have a true closed circulatory system.
15. Sexes may be separate or united, wherein they are called hermaphrodites.
16. Fertilization can be internal or external

Note: Metamerism. This is the property that permits organisms to have the same repeated segments. These
segments are usually at the same stage/level of growth

2.2: Class oligochaeta

Characteristics of class

1. Oligochaete worms have long, segmented, tubular bodies, which gives them the appearance of a piece of thick
spaghetti.
2. Few mm to over 10 feet!
3. They lack a head and limbs, but movement is done by peristalsis. This is when the body moves by contracting
and relaxing its segments so that a wave-like motion pushes it along.
4. Oligochaetes are hermaphrodites, having both male and female sexes at the same time. This doesn't mean that
they can self-fertilize, but it does mean that they can mate with just any other member of their species they
come across.
5. Oligochaetes do have a brain and nervous system, with a central nerve cord running the entire length of the
worm's body.
6. They don't need a respiratory system because gas exchange occurs through the body itself.
7. Despite lacking eyes and a nose, they can still perceive light and can also sense taste and touch.
And they of course have a few of those bristles, which help with movement, and the clitellum which looks like a
band around the body of the worm.

Clitellum: a thickened glandular non-segmented section of the body wall near the head region of earthworm
and leeches. It secretes a viscid sac in which the eggs are deposited

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The earthworm

Structure:
The adult worm is cylindrical at the anterio 1/3 of the body and the posterior 2/3 of the body is fairly dorsoventrally
flattened. The body is made of about 150 segments, having annuli (a ring-shaped object, structure, or region.) that
correspond to their internal septae. The first anterior segment is known as the prostomium while the second the
second is called the peristomium and bears the mouth. The anus is on the last segment known as the pygidium.
They have four pairs of chaetae on each segment, except the first. It is short and made up of muscles that can
withdraw to bring about movement or protection
The body wall has a thin cutile made up of collagen fibres, polysaccharides and gelatin. The cuticle is secreted by
the epidermis that has many glands and sensory cells.
The coloem is completely divided by septae. However, there is communication between the compartments through
sphincter apertures lying under the nerve cord.
Earthworms have developed the ability to detect light even though they cannot see. They have tissue located at the
head region that is sensitive to light. These tissues enable an earthworm to detect light during the daytime where
they could be affected by the sun.

Classification

Phylum: Annelida
Class : Oligochaeta
S.N: Lumbricus terrestries.
Habitat: aquatic and terrestrial, on damp soil

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Physiology of earthworm

1. Locomtion
Each segment or section has muscles and bristles called setae (hair-like structures). Setae helps to anchor and
control the worm when moving through soil. The bristles hold a section of the worm firmly into the ground while
the other part of the body protrudes forward. The longitudinal muscles contract and relax to move a portion of the
organism from one place to another.
Segmentation helps the worm to be flexible and strong in its movement. The hydrostatic skeleton skeleton provide
a thrust force while mucus glands produce mucus to reduce friction during movement.
2. Nutrition and the digestive System.
The digestive system consists of the pharynx, the esophagus, the crop, the intestine and the gizzard. Food such as
soil enters the earthworm’s mouth where it is swallowed by the pharynx. Then the soil passes through the
esophagus, which has calciferous glands that release calcium carbonate to rid the earthworm’s body of excess
calcium. After it passes through the esophagus, the food moves into the crop where it is stored and then eventually
moves into the gizzard. The gizzard uses stones that the earthworm eats to grind the food completely. The food
moves into the intestines as gland cells in the intestine release fluids to aid in the digestive process. The intestinal
wall contains blood vessels where the digested food is absorbed and transported to the rest of the body.
Note: Oligochaetes feed on dead and decaying material, which helps take it out of the environment. They replace it
with 'new' material that is nutrient rich and ready for use again by other organisms like plants.
3. Circulatory System
The earthworm has a closed circulatory system. An earthworm circulates blood exclusively through vessels. There
are three main vessels that supply the blood to organs within the earthworm. These vessels are the aortic arches,
dorsal blood vessels, and ventral blood vessels. The aortic arches function like a human heart. There are five pairs
of aortic arches, which have the responsibility of pumping blood into the dorsal and ventral blood vessels. The
dorsal blood vessels are responsible for carrying blood to the front of the earthworm’s body. The ventral blood
vessels are responsible for carrying blood to the back of the earthworm’s body.
4. Respiratory System
Earthworms do not have lungs. They breathe through their moist skin. Oxygen and carbon dioxide pass through the
earthworm’s moist skin by diffusion. This is one reason why they usually surface at night when it is possibly
cooler and the “evaporating potential of the air is low.” After diffusion, O2 combines with haemoglobin and is then
carried by blood capillaries under the skin to all parts of the body
5. Excretion

Excretion is done with the help of paired nephridia found on each segment of the earthworm, except the first 3 and
the last segment. It starts from the anterior at the nephrostome and opens to the posterior segment at the
nephridiophore. Chlorogenous cells produce NH3 and urea that could enter the nephridia directly or into blood.
Some nitrogenous waste are also elimated through the skin.

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6. Earthworm Reproduction

Earthworms has both male and female reproductive systems, and are known as hermaphrodites Although
earthworms are hermaphrodites, they cannot fertilize themselves and hence need a mate to reproduce. The male
reproductive system opens at the surface of the 15th segment while the female opens at the 14th segment.
During mating, two worms line up inverted, with their ventral surfaces opposing each other. Mucus secreted by the
clitellum and the copulating septae enable these organisms to be held together. There is the reciprocal exchange of
sperms between the two worms which soon separate. Each worm secretes a cocoon around the clitellum after
fertilization occurs. The fertilized eggs will develop in the cocoon to become young worms. (see diagram above)

Harmful effects of earthworm

 They may damage young and tender plants by eating them bit by bit.
 They also damage the grass lands by making tunnels in the ground when present in huge numbers.
 They are also said to help soil erosion.
 Some earthworms act as secondary hosts for the completion of life stages of some parasites which are directly
or indirectly harmful to mankind.

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2.3 Class: polychaeta

General characteristics of class

1. Metamerically segmented.
2. Bilateral symmetry.
3. Chitinous setae called parapodia (paddle-like appendages).
4. Closed circulatory system.
5. Complete digestive system.
6. Respiration through skin, gills or parapodia.
7. Nephridia for excretion.
8. Hermaphroditic, asexual reproduction in some by budding.
9. They show a variety of colours, ranging from red, gree, ash, etc
10. They are marine, found under rocks.

Examples include clamworms (Nereis virens, Nereis pelagica, etc)

Ragworm (Nereis virens)

Phylum: Annelida
Class : Polychaeta
S.N: Nereis virens
Habitat: Marine, under rocks

Structure
The body has about 200 somites, ranging from 30cm-40cm. The head is made of of a prostomium, and the
pesorium bears a pair of stubby palps which a pairs of small dorsal eyes that are sensitive to light.
The peristomium bears a ventral mouth and a pair of chitinouse jaws and 4 sensory tentacles.each body segment
has a pair of lobbed parapodia which are supported by a chitinouse spine. The parapodia is used for creeping,
swimming and manipulation of oblique muscles.

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Feeding: (omnivores)
It feeds on a wide variety of animals and vegetable matter including small corpses and pieces of algae. It
spends more time in a U-shaped burrow held in place by a septae ( a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into
smaller ones.). It has serrated (saw-like) cutting margins forming jaws that are used for eating.
Movement:
It creeps either slowly or rapidly overt the mud. It can also burrow or swim.
In slow creeping, only the parapodia are involved. They are used as levers and are moved forward and
backward in a stepwise fashion to effect movement. Every 5th and 6th parapodia are moved in a union
In rapid movement, the creeping parapodia and the longitudinal muscles are involved. Alternating waves of
contraction and relaxation pass forward along the body, throwing it in lateral undulations to bring about rapid
movement.
Gaseous exchange
This occurs by simple diffusion across the body wall. Their parapodia are filled with blood vessels which
increase the surface area for exchange of gases. The circulatory system is carried together with respiratory
pigments which are usually dissolved in plasma rather than in blood cells.
Reproduction:
Sexes are separate, with no prominent reproductive organs. Sex cells bud off from the coelomic linning and are
carried outside by the nephridia. Fertilization is external, with a trochophore larva which then develops to
form the adult Nereis.

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Class Hirudinea

Characteristics of class.
1) They are true blood suckers, having blade-like jaws that can cut through the tissue of a host organism during
a blood meal
2) Hirudin is a chemical secreted by their salivary gland which prevents blood from clotting in a blood meal.
3) They are dosoventrally flattened and elongated.
4) The body has a fixed number of segments, 32 internal and about 102 annuli
5) They have an anterior and an posterior sucker.
6) The clitellum is present in sexually mature forms. This form also lacks septae and parapodia.
7) The coelum is closely packed with connective tissues and muscles. It is not postioned by any septate
divisions.
8) It is hermaphrodite and has no trochophore larva

The Medicinal Leech

Classification
Phylum: Annelida
Class : Hirudinea
S.N: Hirudo medicinalis
Habitat: fresh water, marine or completely terrestrial for some species. They are abundant in in tropic
countries, having a variety of colours (black, brown, red, gree, etc)

Structure:

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 Their muscular system is well developed with longitudinal, circular and oblique muscle bands.
 It has 2 suckers, both at the anterior and posterior ends.
 The bosy ia covered with cuticle secreted by the epidermis beneath. The body also has many mucus gland
opened to their surface. Their bodies are divided by transverse furrows into 102 annuli. The mid-body
segments comprise of 5 annuli each which reduces as one move towards the extremities.
 During the breeding season, the clitellum is found on segment 10-12
 Their muscular system is well developed with longitudinal, circular and oblique muscle bands.
 The epidermis contains tough photo and chemo receptors. Sensory papillae in the form of projecting discs
of sensory cells occur in each segment
 The eyes contain photoreceptors and are found on the dorsal side of the anterior end.
Nutrition: It feeds solely on blood from animals such as mammals. .it can suck blood about 5 times the weight of
its body in a single meal. It uses chitinous jaws located in its mouth to give an incision along with chemicals which
produce anaesthetic effects. The leech can feed for many hours without the host being aware, and irritations are felt
only after the leech has left the host.
Locomotion: It can move by swimming, or by looping similar to that of hydra (see movement in hydra)
Excretion is done by a a pair of metanephridia which is found on all segments.
Gaseous exchange and circulation: Gases generally diffuse across the walls of the organism into the coelomic
cavity. The coelomic cavity is divided by septae, filled with connective tissues. It has no true blood vessels, hence
the coelomic sinuses replace vessels and coelomic fluid functions as blood.
Reproduction: They are monoecious and reproduction is only sexual.
Comparism in the 3 classes of Annelids.
Polychaeta Oligochaeta Hirudinea
1 Parapodia Absent Absent
2 Many chitae Few chitae Absent
Outer ring correspond to Outer ring correspond to Outer rings more
3
inner septae inner septae numerous than inner ring
4 Distinct head No distinct head No distinct head
5 No sucker No sucker Suckers present
6 Separate sexes Hermaphrodite Hermaphrodite
7 Larva present No larva No larva
8 Coelomic chamber Coelomic chamber Absent
Feed on animal and
9 Feed on dead organic matter Feed solely on blood
vegetables (dead or alive)

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