Phylum Annelida (Segmented worms)
- 15,000 Annelid species
- Bilaterally symmetrical coelomates
- Coelomes divided into partitions by septa
- Inhabit marine, fresh water, & moist environments
- Has complex digestive system
- Has closed circulatory system
- Epidermis is primary gas exchange organ
- Are hermaphroditic
- Reproduce sexually by cross fertilization
- Reproduce asexually through regeneration
Class Oligochaeta
- Include earthworms
- Extracts nutrients from soils
- Extremely beneficial to farming as they enrich and aerate soils
- Very similar to oligochaeta
- Most are marine
- Have paddle or ridge-like extensions on segments called parapodia
- Aid in gas exchange and locomotion
- Most inhabit fresh water, or moist terrestrial environments
- Feed on small invertebrates or are parasitic
- Have significant medicinal value in treating bruising, and as a source of Pharmaceuticals
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