Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 24, 2026

Glomerula

Glomerula is a genus of polychaete worm in the family Sabellidae. It differs from all other Sabellidae in having a calcareous tube and spinose setae. Only one living species, G. piloseta, is known from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The oldest fossils of Glomerula are known from the Early Jurassic and their tube microstructure has remained unchanged since then.

Last revised
Jun 24, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
186 w
Citations
3
Source
Glomerula
Temporal range: Jurassic - present
Glomerula gordialis from the Upper Cretaceous of Germany
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Order: Sabellida
Family: Sabellidae
Subfamily: Sabellinae
Genus: Glomerula
Brünnich Nielsen, 1931
Species
  • Glomerula piloseta
  • Glomerula gordialis
  • Glomerula serpentina
  • Glomerula lombricus
  • Glomerula plexus
Glomerula piloseta, longitudinal section of the tube source ↗

Glomerula is a genus of polychaete worm in the family Sabellidae. It differs from all other Sabellidae in having a calcareous tube and spinose setae. Only one living species, G. piloseta, is known from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. 2 The oldest fossils of Glomerula are known from the Early Jurassic1 and their tube microstructure has remained unchanged since then.3

References

References

  1. Jäger, M. (2004). "Serpulidae und Spirorbidae (Polychaeta sedentaria) aus Campan und Maastricht von Norddeutschland, den Niederlanden, Belgien und angrenzenden Gebieten". Geologisches Jahrbuch. A 157: 121–249.
  2. Perkins, T.H. (1991). "Calcisabella piloseta, new genus and species of Sabellinae (Polychaeta: Sabellidae)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 48 (2): 261–267.
  3. Vinn, O.; ten Hove, H.A.; Mutvei, H. (2008). "On the tube ultrastructure and origin of calcification in sabellids (Annelida, Polychaeta)". Palaeontology. 51 (2): 295–301. Bibcode:2008Palgy..51..295V. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00763.x.