Source Themes

DNA barcoding and genetic distances in three genera of Naididae (Annelida: Clitellata)

Identification of organism groups such as Oligochaetes to species level is difficult to achieve using morphological examination alone. This is especially true in species where sexual reproduction is rare, such as the subfamily Naidedae. Here, …

Global species delimitation of the cosmopolitan marine littoral earthworm Pontodrilus litoralis (Grube, 1855)

The marine littoral earthworm Pontodrilus litoralis (Grube, 1855) is widely distributed and is reported as a single species. This study utilized an integrative taxonomic approach based upon morphological examination, phylogenetic reconstruction, and …

Cryptic carnivores: intercontinental sampling reveals extensive novel diversity in a genus of freshwater annelids

Freshwater annelids are globally widespread in aquatic ecosystems, but their diversity is severely underestimated. Obvious morphological features to define taxa are sparse, and molecular phylogenetic analyses regularly discover cryptic diversity …

Artificial hard-substrate colonisation in the offshore Hywind Scotland Pilot Park

Artificial substrates associated with renewable offshore energy infrastructure, such as floating offshore wind farms, enable the establishment of benthic communities with a taxonomic composition similar to that of naturally occurring rocky intertidal …

New insights into the systematics of Lumbricillus and Marionina (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) inferred from Southern Hemisphere samples, including three new species

Enchytraeid worms collected in South Africa and on the Marion, South Orkney, South Georgia and South Shetland Islands during 2008-2015 were studied using morphology and seven genetic markers. Nine species were recognized: one terrestrial …

Species delimitation and phylogeny of Doto (Nudibranchia: Dotidae) from the Northeast Atlantic, with a discussion on food specialization

The nudibranch genus Doto is taxonomically problematic in particular, and some species are described on the notion of strict monophagy. Here we perform species delimitation on NE Atlantic species, as well as placing them phylogenetically, using two …

Distribution and genetic diversity of two earthworms, Helodrilus oculatus and Satchellius mammalis (Clitellata: Lumbricidae) in Scandinavia

We report on the Scandinavian distribution of two earthworm species, Helodrilus oculatus and Satchellius mammalis. Both appear relatively new to the Scandinavian Peninsula, as they were not included in the monographic revisions of the earthworm fauna …

Case 3826 – Propappus Michaelsen, 1905 and Propappidae Coates, 1986 (Annelida, Clitellata): proposed conservation by suppression of Propappus Seeley, 1888 (Vertebrata, Reptilia)

The purpose of this application, under Article 23.9.3 of the Code, is to conserve the well-used names Propappus Michaelsen, 1905 and Propappidae Coates, 1986 (Annelida) by suppression of the senior homonym Propappus Seeley, 1888 (Reptilia), a junior …

Cryptic Clitellata: Molecular Species Delimitation of Clitellate Worms (Annelida): An Overview

Methods for species delimitation using molecular data have developed greatly and have become a staple in systematic studies of clitellate worms. Here we give a historical overview of the data and methods used to delimit clitellates from the mid-1970s …

Testing species hypotheses for Fridericia magna, an enchytraeid worm (Annelida: Clitellata) with great mitochondrial variation

Background: Deep mitochondrial divergences were observed in Scandinavian populations of the terrestrial to semi-aquatic annelid Fridericia magna (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae). This raised the need for testing whether the taxon is a single species or a …