| Aeolosomatidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aeolosoma | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Polychaeta |
| Order: | incertae sedis |
| Family: | Aeolosomatidae Beddard, 1895[1] |
| Genera | |
TheAeolosomatidae is a family of very small, aquaticannelid worms, between 0.3 and 10 mm in length and 0.04-0.06 mm in diameter. About 30 species have been described in threegenera.[2] These worms are known assuction-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)[3]
Aeolosomatids feed on microalgae, microorganisms, anddetritus.[3] They place theirprostomia 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 byparatomy/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 offilial zooids that detach themselves from the parental zooid in a few days.[2]