Enchytraeidae is a family of
microdrile oligochaetes. They resemble small
earthworm
An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. ...
s and include both terrestrial species known as potworms that live in highly organic
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
environments, as well as some that are
marine. The peculiar genus ''
Mesenchytraeus'' is known as "ice worms", as they live in
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...
s and will die if exposed to temperatures a few degrees above freezing. Apart from these, the best-known
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
is probably the
Grindal Worm (''Enchytraeus buchholzi''), which is commercially bred as
aquarium fish food.
Selected genera
Enchytraeidae
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
include:
[WoRMS (2010)]
* ''Achaeta''
Vejdovský, 1878
* ''
Archienchytraeus'' Eisen, 1878 (''
nomen dubium
In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application.
Zoology
In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...
'')
* ''
Cernosvitoviella'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1959
* ''
Christensenidrilus'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1998 (= ''Christensenia'' Dózsa-Farkas & Convey, 1997 (''non'' Brinck 1945:
preoccupied
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...
))
* ''
Cognettia'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1959
* ''
Enchytraeina'' Bülow, 1957
* ''
Enchytraeus''
* ''
Epitelphusa'' Drago, 1887
* ''
Fridericia'' Michaelsen, 1889
*''
Globulidrilus'' Christensen & Dózsa-Farkas, 2012
* ''
Grania''
* ''
Hemifridericia'' Nielsen & Christensen, 1949
* ''
Henlea'' Michaelsen, 1889 (= ''Henleanella'')
* ''
Lumbricillus'' Ørsted, 1844 (= ''Enchytraeoides, Pachydrilus'')
* ''
Marionina'' Michaelsen in Pfeffer, 1890 (= ''Marionia'' Michaelsen, 1889 (''non'' Vayssière, 1877:
preoccupied
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...
), ''Michaelsena, Parenchytraeus'')
* ''
Mesenchytraeus'' – ice worms
* ''
Neoenchytraeus'' Eisen, 1878
* ''
Randidrilus'' Coates & Erséus, 1985
* ''
Stephensoniella'' Cernosvitov, 1934
Footnotes
References
* (2008)
Enchytraeidae Version of 2010-MAY-11. Retrieved 2011-FEB-06.
Tubificina
{{Annelid-stub