Oligochaeta
Oligochaeta () is a subclass of soft-bodied animals in the phylum Annelida, which is made up of many types of aquatic and terrestrial worms, including all of the various earthworms. Specifically, oligochaetes comprise the terrestrial megadrile earthworms (some of which are semiaquatic or fully aquatic), and freshwater or semiterrestrial microdrile forms, including the tubificids, pot worms and ice worms ( Enchytraeidae), blackworms ( Lumbriculidae) and several interstitial marine worms. With around 10,000 known species, the Oligochaeta make up about half of the phylum Annelida. These worms usually have few setae (chaetae) or "bristles" on their outer body surfaces, and lack parapodia, unlike polychaeta. Diversity Oligochaetes are well-segmented worms and most have a spacious body cavity (coelom) used as a hydroskeleton. They range in length from less than up to in the 'giant' species such as the giant Gippsland earthworm (''Megascolides australis'') and the Mekong ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pot Worm
Enchytraeidae is a family of microdrile oligochaetes. They resemble small earthworms and include both terrestrial species known as potworms that live in highly organic terrestrial environments, as well as some that are marine. The peculiar genus ''Mesenchytraeus'' is known as "ice worms", as they spend the majority of their lives within glaciers, only rising to the surface at certain points in the summer. Enchytraeidae also includes the Grindal worm (''Enchytraeus buchholzi''), which is commercially bred as aquarium fish food. Selected genera Enchytraeidae genera include: * '' Achaeta'' Vejdovský, 1878 * '' Archienchytraeus'' Eisen, 1878 (''nomen dubium'') * '' Buchholzia'' Michaelsen, 1886 * '' Cernosvitoviella'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1959 * '' Christensenidrilus'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1998 (= ''Christensenia'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1997 (''non'' Brinck 1945: preoccupied)) * ''Cognettia'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1959 * '' Enchytraeina'' Bülow, 1957 * '' Enchytraeus'' * ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Enchytraeidae
Enchytraeidae is a family of microdrile oligochaeta, oligochaetes. They resemble small earthworms and include both terrestrial species known as potworms that live in highly organic Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial environments, as well as some that are Marine (ocean), marine. The peculiar genus ''Mesenchytraeus'' is known as "ice worms", as they spend the majority of their lives within glaciers, only rising to the surface at certain points in the summer. Enchytraeidae also includes the Grindal worm (''Enchytraeus buchholzi''), which is commercially bred as aquarium fish food. Selected genera Enchytraeidae genera include: * ''Achaeta (annelid), Achaeta'' František Vejdovsky, Vejdovský, 1878 * ''Archienchytraeus'' Eisen, 1878 (''nomen dubium'') * ''Buchholzia (annelid), Buchholzia'' Michaelsen, 1886 * ''Cernosvitoviella'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1959 * ''Christensenidrilus'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1998 (= ''Christensenia'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1997 (''non'' Brinck 1945: Chris ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Earthworm
An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (or subclass, depending on the author) Oligochaeta. In classical systems, they were in the order of Opisthopora since the male pores opened posterior to the female pores, although the internal male segments are anterior to the female. Theoretical cladistic studies have placed them in the suborder Lumbricina of the order Haplotaxida, but this may change. Other slang names for earthworms include "dew-worm", "rainworm", "nightcrawler", and "angleworm" (from its use as angling hookbaits). Larger terrestrial earthworms are also called megadriles (which translates to "big worms") as opposed to the microdriles ("small worms") in the semiaquatic families Tubificidae, Lumbricidae and Enchytraeidae. The megadriles are characterized by a distinct clitellum (more extensive than that of microdriles) and a vascular system ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Haplotaxida
The Haplotaxida are one of two orders within the annelid subclass Oligochaeta, the other being the Lumbriculida. No real common name exists, but they are simply referred to as haplotaxids. Given that the other clitellatan annelids are embedded between and around the Haplotaxida and Lumbriculida, the traditional ''Oligochaeta'' are a paraphyletic assemblage. Thus, the Haplotaxida might eventually be up-ranked to subclass status within the ''Clitellata'' or an expanded Oligochaeta, with the present suborders advancing to order rank. The latter – though without merging the ''Oligochaeta'' and ''Clitellata'' – has been proposed time and again in the past, most prominently for the distinct '' Moniligastrina.'' Families Of the four suborders of Haplotaxida, two are minor lineages, monotypic at family level. Another one, the Tubificina, is sizeable and contains the aquatic worms, while the fourth, the earthworms or Lumbricina, unites the bulk of the order's families: Suborder ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lumbricidae
The Lumbricidae are a family of earthworms. About 33 lumbricid species have become naturalized around the world, but the bulk of the species are in the Holarctic region, from Canada (e.g. ''Bimastos lawrenceae'' on Vancouver Island) and the United States (e.g. ''Eisenoides carolinensis'', '' E. lonnbergi'', and most '' Bimastos'' spp.) and throughout Eurasia to Japan (e.g. ''Eisenia japonica'', ''E. koreana'', and ''Helodrilus hachiojii''). An enigmatic species in Tasmania is '' Eophila eti''. Currently, 670 valid species and subspecies in about 42 genera are recognized. This family includes the majority of earthworm species well known in Europe and Asia. Genera The family consists of these genera: * '' Allolobophora'' Eisen, 1874 * '' Alpodinaridella'' Mršić, 1987 * '' Aporrectodea'' Orley, 1885 * '' Bimastos'' Moore, 1893 * '' Castellodrilus'' Qiu & Bouché, 1998 stat. nov. * '' Cataladrilus'' Qiu & Bouché, 1998 * '' Cernosvitovia'' Omodeo, 1956 * '' Creinella'' Mršić, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Glossoscolecidae
The Glossoscolecidae are a large family of earthworms (annelids) which has native representatives in South and Central America. The species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ... '' Pontoscolex corethrurus'' has a circumtropical distribution. They are found mostly in forest, but one species of earthworms lives primarily in coastal beach sand. The earthworms in this family can reach up to 2 m in length. Selected genera * '' Andiorrhinus'' * '' Diaguita'' * '' Enantiodrilus'' * '' Eurydame'' * '' Fimoscolex'' * '' Glossodrilus'' * '' Glossoscolex'' * '' Holoscolex'' * '' Rhigiodrilus'' * '' Urochaeta'' * '' Pontoscolex'' References Haplotaxida Annelid families {{Annelid-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mekong Worm
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of water annually. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through Southwest China (where it is officially called the Lancang River), Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of Rapids, rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult, though the river remains a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in the 2000s through the 2020s has caused serious problems for the river's ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought. Names The Mekong was originally called ''Mae Nam Khong'' from a contracted form of Kra-Dai language, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Giant Gippsland Earthworm
The giant Gippsland earthworm (''Megascolides australis'') is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species. Description These giant earthworms average long and in diameter and can reach in length; however, their body is able to expand and contract making them appear much larger. On average they weigh about . They have a dark purple head and a blue-grey body, and about 300 to 400 body segments. Ecology They live in the subsoil of blue, grey or red clay soils along stream banks and some south- or west-facing hills of their remaining habitat which is in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. These worms live in deep burrow systems and require water in their environment to respire. They have relatively long life spans for invertebrates and can take 5 years to reach maturity. The reproductive period of the Giant Gippsland Earthworm mainly spans from September to December. They breed in the warmer months and produce egg capsules that are to in length which are laid in their bu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Body Cavity
A body cavity is any space or compartment, or potential space, in an animal body. Cavities accommodate organs and other structures; cavities as potential spaces contain fluid. The two largest human body cavities are the ventral body cavity, and the dorsal body cavity. In the dorsal body cavity the brain and spinal cord are located. The membranes that surround the central nervous system organs (the brain and the spinal cord, in the cranial and spinal cavities) are the three meninges. The differently lined spaces contain different types of fluid. In the meninges for example the fluid is cerebrospinal fluid; in the abdominal cavity the fluid contained in the peritoneum is a serous fluid. In amniotes and some invertebrates the peritoneum lines their largest body cavity called the coelom. Mammals Mammalian embryos develop two body cavities: the intraembryonic coelom and the extraembryonic coelom (or chorionic cavity). The intraembryonic coelom is lined by somatic and s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Parapodium
In invertebrates, the term parapodium ( Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; : parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in annelids, where they are paired, unjointed lateral outgrowths that bear the chaetae. In several groups of sea snails and sea slugs, 'parapodium' refers to lateral fleshy protrusions. __TOC__ Annelid parapodia Most species of polychaete annelids have paired, fleshy parapodia which are segmentally arranged along the body axis. Parapodia vary greatly in size and form, reflecting a variety of functions, such as, anchorage, protection and locomotion. General description Parapodia in polychaetes can be uniramous (consisting of one lobe or ramus) but are usually biramous (two lobes or rami). In the latter case, the dorsal lobes are called notopodia and the ventral lobes neuropodia. Both neuropodia and notopodia may possess a bundle of chaetae (neurochaetae and notochaetae respectively ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |