Subclass Palpata Family Nereidae | Scientific name Nereis | |
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Lower classifications Slender Ragworm, Nereis vexillosa Genus: Nereis (Linnaeus, 1758) Similar Nephtys, Kenostrychus, Lamellibrachia | ||
Nereis polychaete clamworm
Nereis is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereidae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. Nereis possess setae and parapodia for locomotion. They may have two types of setae, which are found on the parapodia. Acicular setae provide support. Locomotor chaetae are for crawling, and are the bristles that are visible on the exterior of the Polychaeta.
Contents
Nereis pile worm clam worm
Ecology
Nereids, commonly known as ragworms, adapt to their surrounding osmotic pressure as osmoconformers. These marine polychaete worms are dioecious, meaning they exist as distinct male and female individuals. They reproduce by releasing their haploid gametes into the water, a process known as spawning. Following fertilization, the zygote undergoes mitotic divisions. This developmental process results in the formation of a larval stage in nereids that is analogous to the trochophore larva found in mollusks.
Species
The genus Nereis contains the following species:
