Feature

Description

Taxonomy

Belongs to the phylum Onychophora commonly known as velvet worms

First Discovery

Collected by Stanley Kemp in 1911 during the Abor expedition in Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

Age

Considered among the oldest living fossils; evolutionary history dating back over 350 million years

Morphological Traits

Soft bodied, worm like organism with stubby legs and antennae; exhibits a velvety texture

Habitat

Moist, undisturbed tropical forests

Distribution

Endemic to northeast India; very limited population known

Evolutionary Importance

Molecular data suggests divergence from South American and African relatives 237 million years ago

Aspect

Details

Phylum

Onychophora

Common Name

Velvet Worm

No. of Species

Around 200 globally, divided into 2 families: Peripatidae (tropical) and Peripatopsidae (temperate)

Habitat

Moist leaf litter, under logs and tropical/subtropical forests

Distribution

Found in Central & South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australasia

Physical Traits

Elongated, segmented body; legs with claws; soft, velvety skin due to dense papillae

Locomotion

Unjointed legs (lobopods), moves like a caterpillar

Feeding Mechanism

Uses sticky slime to trap prey; ejects mucus like substance from oral papillae

Reproduction

Can be oviparous, ovoviviparous or viviparous depending on species

Evolutionary Significance

Shows features intermediate between annelids and arthropods; bridge between worms and insects

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to velvet worms consider the following statements:

1. They are more closely related to annelids than to arthropods.
2. They use slime to immobilize their prey before consumption.
3. They are found exclusively in Australasia and Central America.
4. They exhibit characteristics of both annelids and arthropods.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 4 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect.

They share traits with both annelids and arthropods but are not more closely related to annelids.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

They are also found in Africa and Southeast Asia including India.

Statement 2 is correct.

They capture prey with slime.

Statement 4 is correct.

Velvet worms are a transitional form.