Metachronal waves are ubiquitous in propulsive and fluid transport systems across many different scales and morphologies in the biological world. Gossamer worms, or tomopterids, are a soft-bodied, holopelagic worm that use metachrony with their flexible, gelatinous parapodia to deftly navigate the midwater ocean column that they inhabit. In the following study, we develop a three-dimensional, fluid–structure interaction model of a tomopterid parapodium to explore the emergent metachronal waves formed from the interplay of passive body elasticity, active muscular tension, and hydrodynamic forces. After introducing our model, we examine the effects that varying material properties have on the stroke of an individual parapodium as well as the resulting fluid dynamcis. We then explore the temporal dynamics when multiple parapodia are placed sequentially and how differences in the phase can alter the collective kinematics and resulting flow field.