Rota, E. (1998). Morphology and adaptations of Parergodrilus Reisinger and Hrabeiella Pizl & Chalupsky, two enigmatic soil-dwelling annelids. Italian Journal of Zoology. 65(1): 75-84.

68710

Rota, E.

1998

65(1): 75-84

Publication

Kristian Fauchald's Polychaeta DB

Available for editors  

Parergodrilus heiden Reisinger, 1925 and Hrabeiella periglan-dulata Pizl & Chalupský, 1984 s. 1. are the only two non-clitellate annelids which permanently inhabit the litter and humic layers of land soils in temperate climates. Their minute body size and diffi- culty of extraction from the substrate account for their late discov- ery and subsequent scanty records. Both taxa are European. Al- though they widely overlap in geographic and ecological distribu- tion, they appear only remotely related. Neither Parergodrilus nor Hrabeiella displays more than a superficial resemblance to the families formerly included in the 'archiannelids'. Since 1960 Par- ergodrilus has been classified with the marine interstitial Stygo- capitella subterranea Knöllner, 1934 in the family Parergodrilidae, possibly related to some other interstitial forms or to deposit feed- ers of mobile bottoms. The position of Hrabeiella appears more obscure, yet very interesting in view of the many convergences (concerning the organization of the body wall musculature, phar- ynx, male terminalia, spermatozoal morphology) with the oligochaetes.

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