# Serpulidae > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Serpulidae > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Serpulidae.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpulidae > Source revision: 1355284706 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **Serpulidae** are a [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) of [sessile](/source/Sessility_(zoology)), [tube-building](/source/Tube_worm_(body_plan)) [annelid](/source/Annelid) worms in the class [Polychaeta](/source/Polychaeta). The members of this family differ from other [sabellid](/source/Sabellidae) tube worms in that they have a specialized [operculum](/source/Operculum_(animal)) that blocks the entrance of their tubes when they withdraw into the tubes. In addition, serpulids secrete tubes of [calcium carbonate](/source/Calcium_carbonate). Serpulids are the most important [biomineralizers](/source/Biomineralising_polychaetes) among annelids. About 300 species in the family Serpulidae are known, all but one of which live in saline waters.[2] The earliest serpulids are known from the [Permian](/source/Permian) ([Wordian](/source/Wordian) to [late Permian](/source/Lopingian)).[3][4] The blood of most species of serpulid and sabellid worms contains the oxygen-binding pigment [chlorocruorin](/source/Chlorocruorin). This is used to transport oxygen to the tissues. It has an affinity for [carbon monoxide](/source/Carbon_monoxide) which is 570 times as strong as that of the haemoglobin found in human blood.[5] Empty serpulid shells can sometimes be confused with the shells of a family of marine [gastropod](/source/Gastropod) [mollusks](/source/Mollusk), the [Vermetidae](/source/Vermetidae) or worm snails. The most obvious difference is that serpulid shells are dull inside, whereas the molluscan vermetid shells are shiny inside. ## Selected genera - *[Amplicaria](/source/Amplicaria)* Knight-Jones, 1984 - *[Anomalorbis](/source/Anomalorbis)* Vine, 1972 - *[Apomatus](/source/Apomatus)* Philippi, 1844 - *[Bathyvermilia](/source/Bathyvermilia)* Zibrowius, 1973 - *[Bushiella](/source/Bushiella)* Knight-Jones, 1973 - *[Capeospira](/source/Capeospira)* Pillai, 1970 - *[Chitinopoma](/source/Chitinopoma)* Levinsen, 1884 - *[Circeis](/source/Circeis)* Saint-Joseph, 1894 - *[Crucigera](/source/Crucigera)* Benedict, 1887 - *[Dextralia](/source/Dextralia)* Knight-Jones, 1973 - *[Ditrupa](/source/Ditrupa)* Berkeley, 1835 - *[Eulaeospira](/source/Eulaeospira)* Pillai, 1970 - *[Ficopomatus](/source/Ficopomatus)* Sauthern, 1921 - *[Filograna](/source/Filograna)* Berkeley, 1835[6] - *[Filogranella](/source/Filogranella)* Ben-Eliahu and Dafni, 1979 - *[Filogranula](/source/Filogranula)* Langerhans, 1884 - *[Galeolaria](/source/Galeolaria)* Lamarck, J.B. de (1818) - *[Hyalopotamus](/source/Hyalopotamus)* Marenzeller, 1878 - *[Hydroides](/source/Hydroides)* Gunnerus, 1768 - *[Janua](/source/Janua)* Saint-Joseph, 1894 - *[Josephella](/source/Josephella)* Caullery and Mesnil, 1896 - *[Leodora](/source/Leodora)* Saint-Joseph, 1894 - *[Marifugia](/source/Marifugia)* Absolon & Hrabe, 1930 - *[Metavermilia](/source/Metavermilia)* Bush, 1904 - *[Neodexiospira](/source/Neodexiospira)* Pillai, 1970 - *[Neovermila](/source/Neovermila)* Day, 1961 - *[Nidificaria](/source/Nidificaria)* - *[Paradexiospira](/source/Paradexiospira)* Caullery and Mesnil, 1897 - *[Paralaeospira](/source/Paralaeospira)* Caullery and Mesnil, 1897 - *[Pileolaria](/source/Pileolaria_(annelid))* Claparede, 1870 - *[Placostegus](/source/Placostegus)* Philippi, 1844 - *[Pomatoceros](/source/Pomatoceros)* Philippi, 1844 - *[Pomatoleios](/source/Pomatoleios)* Pixell, 1912 - *[Pomatostegus](/source/Pomatostegus)* Schmarda, 1861 - *[Protolaeospira](/source/Protolaeospira)* Pixell, 1912 - *[Protula](/source/Protula)* Risso, 1826 - *[Pseudochitinopoma](/source/Pseudochitinopoma)* Zibrowius, 1969 - *[Pseudovermilia](/source/Pseudovermilia)* Bush, 1907 - †*[Rotularia](/source/Rotularia)* Defrance, 1827 - *[Salmacina](/source/Salmacina)* Claparede, 1870 - *[Semivermila](/source/Semivermila)* Imajima, 1978 - *[Serpula](/source/Serpula)* Linnaeus, 1767 [Type genus](/source/Type_genus) - *[Simplicaria](/source/Simplicaria)* Knight-Jones, 1973 - *[Spirobranchus](/source/Spirobranchus)* Blainville, 1818 - *[Spirorbis](/source/Spirorbis)* Daudin, 1800 - *[Turbocavus](/source/Turbocavus)* Prentiss et al., 2014[7] - *[Vermiliopsis](/source/Vermiliopsis)* Saint-Joseph, 1894 - *[Vinearia](/source/Vinearia)* ## References **Citations** 1. "Serpulidae Rafinesque, 1815". 2019. 988. Retrieved September 7, 2019. 1. Kupriyanova EK, ten Hove HA, Sket B, Zakšek V, Trontelj P, Rouse GW (1 December 2009). ["Evolution of the unique freshwatercave-dwelling tube worm *Marifugia* cavatica (Annelida: Serpulidae)"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232862349). *Systematics and Biodiversity*. **7** (4): 389–401. [Bibcode:2009SyBio...7..389K](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009SyBio...7..389K). [doi:10.1017/S1477200009990168](https://doi.org/10.1017/S1477200009990168). – via ResearchGate. 1. Rossana Sanfilippo; Antonietta Rosso; Agatino Reitano; Gianni Insacco (2017). "First record of sabellid and serpulid polychaetes from the Permian of Sicily". *Acta Palaeontologica Polonica*. **62** (1): 25–38. [doi:10.4202/app.00288.2016](https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00288.2016) 1. Słowiński, Jakub; Clapham, Matthew; Zatoń, Michał (2024-03-04). ["The Upper Permian tubular fossils from South China and their possible affinity to sabellid polychaetes"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2024.2324448). *Historical Biology*. **37** (3): 702–708. [doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2324448](https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2324448). [ISSN 0891-2963](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0891-2963) 1. Cowles, David (2006). ["*Serpula vermicularis* Linnaeus, 1767"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111002000012/http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/inverts/Annelida/Serpulidae/Serpula_vermicularis.html). *Invertebrates of the Salish Sea*. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory at Walla Walla University. Archived from [the original](http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/inverts/Annelida/Serpulidae/Serpula_vermicularis.html) on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-10-31. 1. Read, G. (ed.) (2014). ["*Filograna* Berkeley, 1835"](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129563). *World Polychaeta database*. Retrieved 2015-02-22. – via [World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species) 1. Prentiss, N.K.; Vasileiadou, K.; Faulwetter, S. et al. (2014). ["A new genus and species of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta, Sabellida) from the Caribbean Sea"](http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2014/f/zt03900p222.pdf). *[Zootaxa](/source/Zootaxa)*. **3900** (2): 204–222. [doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3900.2.2](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3900.2.2). [PMC 4340580](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340580). [PMID 25543733](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25543733) **General** - Abbott, R. Tucker (1986). *Seashells of North America*. St. Martin's Press. - ten Hove, H.A. & van den Hurk, P. (1993). "A review of recent and fossil serpulid 'reefs'; actuopalaeontology and the 'Upper Malm' serpulid limestones in NW Germany". *Geologie en Mijnbouw*. **72** (1): 23–67. - Ruppert, Edward E.; Fox, Richard S.; & Barnes, Robert D. (2004). [*Invertebrate Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach*](https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780030259821). 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning Inc. ISBN 0-03-025982-7. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Serpulidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpulidae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpulidae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.