noun
- plural of chaetopod; marine worms of the phylum Annelida, characterized by bristle-like structures (chaetae) used for locomotion and anchoring.
Usage: scientific/zoological term; also called polychaetes or bristle worms
Examples
- Chaetopods are among the most diverse marine invertebrates found in ocean ecosystems.
- The chaetopods use their bristles to burrow through sediment on the seafloor.
- Marine biologists collected several chaetopods from the deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
- Chaetopods play an important role in nutrient cycling in benthic communities.
- Some chaetopods are free-swimming, while others are tube-dwelling species.