Polychaetes are segmented worms that live in nearly all marine habitats, from the shallow seashore or estuaries to the deep sea. They are very abundant, often making up as much as 70% of the animals found in an area. Not only are there many of them, but they are very important in contributing to the biodiversity of the marine environment.
Many species of these worms – and there are at least 11,500 species worldwide – perform ecological functions similar to those of earthworms, their terrestrial relatives. They provide food for birds or fish, they recycle marine compost, and their burrowing keeps sand oxygenated.
