arrow worm vs coastal arrow worm

Parasagitta elegans compared with Parasagitta setosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	arrow worm	coastal arrow worm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chaetognatha (arrow worms)	Chaetognatha (arrow worms)
Class same	Sagittoidea (Sagittoidea)	Sagittoidea (Sagittoidea)
Order same	Aphragmophora (Aphragmophora)	Aphragmophora (Aphragmophora)
Family same	Sagittidae	Sagittidae
Genus same	Parasagitta	Parasagitta
Species	Parasagitta elegans	Parasagitta setosa

Evolutionary Relationship

arrow worm and coastal arrow worm share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Parasagitta.

Conservation Status

arrow worm

NE — Not Evaluated

coastal arrow worm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	arrow worm	coastal arrow worm
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

arrow worm

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark and Norway.

coastal arrow worm

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Russia.

arrow worm

The Arrow worm, Parasagitta elegans, is a species. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

coastal arrow worm

Parasagitta setosa, the coastal arrow worm, is a chaetognath in the family Sagittidae inhabiting the coastal and neritic waters of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and adjacent North Sea and Baltic Sea, with confirmed records from Denmark, Norway, and Russia. Arrow worms are small, transparent, torpedo-shaped marine invertebrates typically 1–5 centimeters long, and despite their common name, are neither worms nor closely related to any familiar animal group; they form their own phylum, Chaetognatha, comprising around 120 species. Parasagitta setosa is a predatory planktonic species, using stiff bristle-like grasping spines flanking its mouth to seize copepods, small fish larvae, and other zooplankton that form the bulk of its diet. It occupies neritic plankton communities, often occurring in brackish coastal waters and estuaries where many arrow worm species cannot tolerate reduced salinity. The species serves as an important prey item for fish including herring and sprat and functions as a significant link in coastal marine food webs. Arrow worm phylogenetic position has been debated extensively; molecular evidence places them near the base of protostome animals. The species is Not Evaluated by the IUCN, as marine zooplankton populations are rarely assessed due to monitoring challenges.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway