Anterior sensory organs in Sabellariidae (Annelida)

Sensory organs in Annelida are very diverse and may be useful for assessments of morphological adaptation and character evolution. We used several methods to provide new insights into processes underlying the evolutionary radiation of anterior sensory organs in Sabellariidae. The presence and morphological diversity of the median organ (MO) found in the group was reviewed in order to test its phylogenetic significance and possible relationships to the distribution and ecological traits of the lineages. To test the intraspecific phenotypic plasticity of the MO, molecular analyses were conducted that focused on mitochondrial and nuclear genes from populations of Idanthyrsus australiensis exhibiting variation in the morphology of the MO. We used an integrative microscopical study of the ontogeny of Sabellaria alveolata to describe the anterior sensory structures present in the larvae and the morphological changes occurring before, during, and after settlement. In larval stages, the palps and the dorsal hump (DH) exhibit distinct innervation. The larval DH organ, which is likely to play a major role in chemoreception for settlement, is interpreted as being the incipient form of the adult MO. These results suggest that annelid sensory organs including the MO may be useful for phylogenetic and developmental investigations.