noun
- marine worms with many bristles or setae, typically having a segmented body and paired appendages
Usage: biology; zoology
Examples
- Polychaetes are among the most abundant animals in marine sediments.
- The researcher collected several polychaetes from the tide pool.
- Many polychaetes live in tubes they construct in the sand.
- Polychaetes play an important role in marine food webs.
- The colorful polychaetes were easily visible on the coral reef.
- Scientists have identified over 10,000 species of polychaetes worldwide.