Canadia

For the Cambodian bank, See: Canadia Bank.

Canadia is an extinct polychaete annelid known from fossils found in the Burgess Shale formation of British Columbia.

Averaging about 30mm in length, Canadia is one of the most photogenic of the Burgess Shale fossils. The head bore a pair of slender tentacles while the body was covered with innumerable setae (short bristles). The gut could be everted anteriorly to form a feeding proboscis. Sediment has never been found in the gut, suggesting that this worm may have been a carnivore or scavenger.

It is believed Canadia used its limbs to walk on the substrate or swim just above it. It may have utilized the stiff bristles on its body as paddles. These bristles could have been spread apart to swim and clumped together to slow down.

The name of the one described species, Canadia spinosa, means "spiny, or thorny Canadian". One hundred and ninety specimens are known from the Burgess Shale.

Canadia can also be a misspelling of Canada, as some people think without the "n" in "Canadian", "Canadia" is the country/nationality.

External links and references

• Genus: Canadia spinosa – from the Smithsonian Institution.
• the State of Canadia