Ecology

Polychaetes play a key role in the functioning of benthic communities as being responsible of recycling and reworking marine sediments. They are frequentlythe dominant macrobenthic taxon in marine sediments. Polychaetes have greatdiversity of trophic behaviours and the ability to adapt to differentenvironments, they are considered good indicators of community structure inbenthic invertebrate assemblages.

The Terebellidae family are characterized as selective deposit feeders using their multiple palps to sort organic material from the sediment. The multiple palps have longitudinal ciliated grooves which contain mucus. The palps are extended over the substrate surface selecting detritus or rejecting it. The selected particles are carried along the groove by ciliary action to the base of the palp, each palp is wiped regularly on the lower lip where cilia carry the mucus full of detritus into the mouth.

Due to Terebellidae worms usually live in tubes their presence in the benthic marine habitat improves the irrigation of the substrate and increase the transport of oxygen into their burrows, and consequently affecting the sediments and their associated faunal communities.

Polychaetes are also either tolerant or sensitive to many perturbations and consequently have been regarded as indicators of marine environmental conditions. The Terebellida species often represent a vital element of the benthic habitat assemblages in terms of biomass, and also, Terebellida are a good indicator of polychaete species richness studies of marine benthic communities.Identifying polychaetes diversity and abundance are really desirable to create management plans to accomplish sustainable use of protected marine areas.