|
Oligochaete
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 wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annelida
The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecologies – some in marine environments as distinct as tidal zones and hydrothermal vents, others in fresh water, and yet others in moist terrestrial environments. The annelids are Symmetry in biology, bilaterally symmetrical, Triploblasty, triploblastic, coelomate, invertebrate organisms. They also have Parapodium, parapodia for locomotion. Most textbooks still use the traditional division into polychaetes (almost all marine), oligochaetes (which include earthworms) and leech-like species. Cladistics, Cladistic research since 1997 has radically changed this scheme, viewing leeches as a sub-group of oligochaetes and oligochaetes as a sub-group of polychaetes. In addition, the Siboglinidae, Pogonophora, Echiura and Sipuncula, previ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
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] |
Ice Worm
Ice worms (also written as ice-worms or iceworms, or also called glacial or glacier worms) are enchytraeid annelids of the genus ''Mesenchytraeus''. The majority of the species in the genus are abundant in gravel beds or the banks of riverine habitats, but the best-known members of the genus are found in glacial ice. They include the only annelid worms known to spend their entire lives in glacial ice, and some of the few metazoans to complete their entire life cycle at conditions below . They were discovered in a wide range of environments, which include level snowfields, steep avalanche cones, crevasse walls, glacial rivers and pools, and hard glacier ice. These organisms are unique in that they can simply move between tightly packed ice crystals. They utilize setae, which are small bristles found on the outside of their bodies, to grip the ice and pull themselves along. The genus contains 77 species, including the North American glacier ice worm (''Mesenchytraeus solifugus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megascolecidae
Megascolecidae is a family of earthworms native to Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and North America. At up to 2 meters in length, their large size distinguishes the Megascolecidae from other earthworm families. They are an essential part of maintaining soil structure, minor carbon sequestration, and maintaining terrestrial ecosystems. Physiological features Different species of the Megascolecidae have different physiological features, but some similarities of physiological features can be found between species. The family contains relatively large individuals. The length of earthworms can vary from to . The number of spermathecal pores is normally paired, but multiples can be present in some species. The location of spermathecal pores and how they are positioned in different segmental locations is used in the identification of different megascolecidids. Earthworms ingest a variety of organic materials in the soil since they live in terrestrial environments. Earthwor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
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] |
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] |
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] |
Hydroskeleton
A hydrostatic skeleton or hydroskeleton is a type of skeleton supported by hydrostatic fluid pressure or liquid, common among soft-bodied invertebrate animals colloquially referred to as "worms". While more advanced organisms can be considered hydrostatic, they are sometimes referred to as hydrostatic for their possession of a hydrostatic ''organ'' instead of a hydrostatic ''skeleton'', where the two may have the same capabilities but are not the same. As the prefix ''hydro-'' meaning "water", being hydrostatic means being fluid-filled. As a skeletal structure, a hydroskeleton possesses the ability to affect shape and movement, and involves two mechanical units: the muscle layers and the body wall. The muscular layers are longitudinal and circular, and part of the fluid-filled coelom within. Contractions of the circular muscles lengthen the organism's body, while contractions of the longitudinal muscles shorten the organism's body. Fluid within the organism is evenly concentrate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
