Polychaetes as environmental indicators revisited

Polychaetes, often linked in the past to the concept of opportunistic species able to proliferate after an increase in organic matter, have played an important role especially with regard to impacted soft-bottom habitats. Increased knowledge of the group, suggests that not only opportunistic species can be utilised as indicators. so that these organisms can be disengaged from the old concept of opportunistic taxa. Moreover, recent researches conducted on this group allowed demonstrating as surrogacy is not always applicable.