ScienceAugust 23, 2026
oligochaetes
OL-ih-go-keets
Definition
A group of annelid worms, which includes earthworms and their marine relatives, characterized by having few bristles on their body segments.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'oligos' (few) and 'chaite' (bristle or hair), referring to the sparse distribution of sensory bristles found on these worms.
In the news
The article focuses on gutless marine oligochaetes that lack digestive tracts and rely on symbiotic bacteria to provide energy, which they then digest using a specific enzyme.
A marine worm with no mouth and no gut makes its own enzyme for digesting the bioplastic its skin bacteria build up, and the same kind of enzyme turned up in 66 more animal species across nine phyla, from a sponge to an earthworm to a springtail
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com