Introduction to the Annelida

This website at the University of California Berkeley describes the segmented worms that make up the Phylum Annelida. The phylum includes earthworms and their relatives, leeches, and a large number of mostly marine worms known as polychaetes. Various species of polychaete are known as lugworms, clam worms, bristleworms, fire worms, sea mice. Annelids can be identified by their segmented bodies. Polychaetes (meaning "many bristles") have many bristles on the body, while earthworms and leeches have fewer bristles. There are about 9000 species of annelid known today. The user of this program can click on buttons to learn more about: Fossil Record; Life History & Ecology; Systematics; More on Morphology.

Some of the links are out of date:
The link to An Annelid Worm Biodiversity List does not work. The link to the "Biodiversity and Biological Collections Web Server" is also incorrect - the correct link is here. Likewise, the link to "The Burrow" (for those interested in vermiculture) is out of date, but the text can be accessed here. Mark Siddal's Hirudinea pages can no longer be accessed.