Higher classification within Class Polychaeta has been somewhat a matter of opinion for many years and consequently taxonomists have not enthusiastically embraced the schemes proposed so far. Here for comparison are two possible modern hierarchies which we shall call Updated-Pettibone and (late 1997) Cladistic-Rouse- Fauchald. The latter is the first hierarchy based on cladistic analysis of morphology and includes the pogonophorans as a polychaete family. However, molecular evidence from a paper published after Rouse/Fauchald was in press would also include the echiurans, a placement that is totally at odds with Rouse and Fauchald (Dahmnait McHugh, 1997: Molecular evidence that echiurans and pogonophorans are derived annelids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 94:8006-8009 - (Online or Reprint online in PDF format)).
The new classification does not use Linnean categories. The Polychaeta comprises two clades, the Scolecida (no further clades above family) and Palpata with clades Aciculata ( = Phyllodocida & Eunicida) and Canalipalpata ( = Sabellida, Spionida, and Terebellida). The Pogonophora are included as the Family Siboglinidae in the clade Sabellida. The family classification below includes placement of 29 families excluded from the analysis.
Annelida classification in nested form:
Annelida (Clitellata,
Polychaeta (Scolecida, Palpata (Canalipalpata (Sabellida, Spionida, Terebellida), Aciculata
(Phyllodocida, Eunicida)))).
Tip: If the layout of this family table below looks a mess (it can be beautiful too!) try adjusting the proportional base font temporarily in your browser - GBR.
| Classification of Polychaete families | |||
| Polychaeta | |||
| SCOLECIDA | Arenicolidae, Capitellidae, Maldanidae, Cossuridae, Opheliidae, Orbiniidae, Paraonidae, Questidae, Scalibregmatidae | ||
| PALPATA | ACICULATA | EUNICIDA
Amphinomidae, Diurodrilidae, Dorvilleidae, Eunicidae, Euphrosinidae, Hartmaniellidae, Histriobdellidae, Lumbrineridae, Oenonidae, Onuphidae | |
| PHYLLODOCIDA Acoetidae, Alciopidae, Aphroditidae, Chrysopetalidae, Eulepethidae, Glyceridae, Goniadidae, Hesionidae, Ichthyotomidae, Iospilidae, Lacydoniidae, Lopadorhynchidae, Myzostomidae, Nautilienellidae, Nephtyidae, Nereididae, Paralacydoniidae, Pholoidae, Phyllodocidae, Pilargidae, Pisionidae, Polynoidae, Pontodoridae, Sigalionidae, Sphaerodoridae, Syllidae, Typhoscolecidae, Tomopteridae | |||
| Aciculata incertae sedis --------- Aberrantidae, Nerillidae, Spintheridae | |||
| CANALIPALPATA | SABELLIDA
Oweniidae, Siboglinidae, Sabellidae, Sabellariidae, Serpulidae | ||
| SPIONIDA Apistobranchidae, Chaetopteridae, Longosomatidae, Magelonidae, Poecilochaetidae, Spionidae, Trochochaetidae, Uncispionidae | |||
| TEREBELLIDA Acrocirridae, Alvinellidae, Ampharetidae, Cirratulidae, Ctenodrilidae, Fauveliopsidae, Flabelligeridae, Pectinariidae, Poebiidae, Sternaspidae, Terebellidae, Trichobranchidae | |||
| Canalipalpata incertae sedis --------- Polygordiidae, Protodrilidae, Protodriloidae, Saccocirridae | |||
| Polychaeta incertae sedis --------- Aeolosomatidae, Potamodrilidae, Parerogodrilidae, Psammodrilidae | |||
Orders, superfamilies and families are in alphabetical sequence