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Phylum
Spaghetti worms belong to the phylum Annelida. Biologists define annelids as segmented worms. Each segment contains a visible band in the muscles and internal divisions. Annelids use the segments separately, so one segment holds the ground while another propels the worms forward. This method allows the worms to move with more ease and strength than smooth worms. Unlike other worms, annelids intake food at one end of their bodies and discharge waste from a separate orifice at the other end.
Class
Because of their bristlelike protrusions, spaghetti worms fall into the class Polychaeta. Sometimes called bristleworms, polychaetes account for approximately 8,000 of the 9,000 species of annelids. The majority of polychaetes live in marine environments and use their paired sets of bristles called setae for mobility. The setae attach to lobes called parapodia, which protrude from each body segment. In spaghetti worms, the setae rest on the sides of their crevice or tubelike home to propel the worm.
Order and Family
Spaghetti worms belong to the order Terrebellida and the family Terrebellidae. Scientists denote terrebellids for their tentaclelike palps, which resemble spaghetti floating in water. On larger terrebellids, the palps grow to 0.25 inch wide and can reach lengths up to 3 feet. The spaghetti worm uses the palps to funnel small food down a groove and toward their mouth. Terrebellids also have two pairs of lips on their mouths and three sets of gills.
Genus
According to the World Register of Marine Species, the family Terrebellidae includes more than 50 genera, all of which correspond to a type of spaghetti worm. Members of the families Ampharetidae, Cirratulidae and Trichobranchidae bear a close physical resemblance to the spaghetti worms, and thus, biologists may incorrectly categorize them. Scientists know very little about spaghetti worms, and taxonomy often changes in the face of more information, so the number of genera including spaghetti worms is continually in flux.