What does the word “polychaete” mean?
The term polychaete is derived from two Greek words: polys, many, very; and chaite, long hair. This refers to the fact that polychaete worms have pairs of laterally-placed bundles of bristles, called chaetae (or setae), on each of the body segments. In some individuals, these chaetae can be noticeably numerous and long, but there are an incredible variety of shapes and sizes. Because of this variation in chaetae, they function to enable polychaetes to move with great agility and speed, whether in a burrow, tube, crawling over the sea floor, or swimming. For additional information, see this article.
