 
These animals belong to the Phylum Annelida. They include earthworms, marine bristle worms and leeches.
Characteristics of segmented worms
- Long, basically cylindrical body
- Body segmented both internally and externally
- Have nervous, digestive and circulatory systems
- Many species have a pair of leg-like appendages (not jointed) attached to every segment
Research
Research programs include studies of the taxonomy and ecology of polychaete worms, especially in areas along the east coast of Australia, and studies of the worms which burrow into coral rocks.
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Projects
Volume 4a of the Fauna Series dealing with Polychaetes & Allies: The Southern Synthesis has been published-April 2000. Connect to CSIRO to order a copy.
Collections
The Australian Museum houses a large and important collection of oligochaetes (earthworms), polychaetes (bristle worms), and leeches comprising more than 30 000 lots, with extensive polychaete collections from Australia and the Indo-Pacific. The collection includes more than 1600 type lots.
The Marine Invertebrate collections are fully computerised collections of about 1.5 million registered specimens, microscope slides, SEM stubs and photographic images of marine invertebrates and all other invertebrates except molluscs, insects and spiders. The collections date from 1880 and are still growing through research and targeted collecting. The collections are predominantly from New South Wales, Australia and the Indo-Pacific. In addition to the registered collections there are also unsorted and unidentified collections, sorted to various taxonomic levels, that can be made available for research.
The type collection comprises more than 9000 type lots, including more than 2000 primary types.
The current emphasis in the collections is on peracarid crustaceans and polychaetes worms, which reflects the research interests of the Marine Invertebrate section. We also have extensive decapod, echinoderm, ascidian, pycnogonid and sponge collections. We will consider the deposition of any invertebrate voucher specimens into the Australian Museum collections for future research based access.
The Marine Invertebrate Section houses Australian Museum Research Library books on many invertebrate groups and, along with reprints, is one of the largest collections of its kind in Australia. It is available for use by scientists, students and the public by appointment. The reprint collection is currently being computerised on a bibliographic database.
Loans of collection material or access to collection data or library books held in this area should be arranged through Stephen Keable, Collection Manager.
The Australian Museum holds extensive collections of invertebrates but does not carry out specialised research in all areas.
Staff
Pat Hutchings (Principal Research Scientist)
Stephen Keable (Collection Manager)
Kate Attwood
Anna Murray
Links
MOV delta project
Checklist of the Australian polychaete species (click on Miscellaneous Invertebrates to get to this checklist)
Australian Faunal Directory... compiled on Platypus
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