Freshwater Oligochaeta Research Articles

Influence of the Hydrological Variability on Water Quality and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Chilean Estuary During a Megadrought

The climate crisis has accelerated the frequency and intensity of droughts in the Mediterranean areas, impacting the hydrology and the ecology of their basins. Maule River is the largest watershed in the Chilean Mediterranean Zone. The growing anthropic and environmental pressure has led to changes in the structure and function of its terrestrial ecosystem. However, little is known about its influence on aquatic ecosystems. The effect of the recent extreme drought on the streamflow and its influence on water quality and the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were evaluated in the Maule River’s lower section. Beyond temporal and spatial fluctuations, healthy and permanently well-oxygenated waters prevailed in the study area. However, during the megadrought period, evidenced by a significant decrease in both precipitation and river streamflow, a greater salt wedge influence was observed, at least, in the last 7 km of the river. Although with certain asynchrony, a change in the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was observed in the upstream stations. This marinization reveals an increase in the domain of marine taxa associated with the Polychaeta group and a clear decrease in typical freshwater Oligochaeta individuals. This modification in the structure of the benthic community is expected to affect the function of this estuarine system. The results presented here highlight the importance of considering the variability associated with biological components for the management of water resources and related ecosystem services, considering that one of the main problems associated with changes in land use and the pressures caused by the climate crisis is the decrease in the quality and availability of water in this and other Mediterranean basins globally.

Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Freshwater Oligochaeta Allonais inaequalis (Stephenson, 1911) Under Conventional and Stressful Exposures

The occurrence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has been reported around the world; however, their effects on freshwater oligochaetes are unknown. In this research, we investigated the toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics (MP), size between 40 and 48 μm, on the aquatic worm Allonais inaequalis. We applied the bioassays considering 24 °C as standard temperature and thermal stress of 19 °C and 29 °C, associated with the presence and absence of sediment in short-term and chronic exposures (96 h and 240 h, respectively). MP did not cause significant mortality in short-term exposures and did not affect the reproduction of worms. In addition, when we analyzed whether thermal stress, as well as substrate availability, would have an additional impact on MP toxicity, there were no significant effects. At 29 °C, the individuals reached the highest reproduction rates, whereas at 19 °C the offspring significantly reduced. Moreover, the lack of sediment substantially reduced survival rates after 96 h under 24 °C (p = 0.018). This paper also records for the first time, the ability of microplastic ingestion by a freshwater naidid. Due to its capacity to respond in a short period, adaptation to laboratory cultivation, and representativeness among freshwater aquatic invertebrates, A. inaequalis is presented as a tropical test organism for toxic effect analysis of microplastics, either in conventional exposures or simulated environmental disturbances.

Factors affecting assemblage attributes of freshwater Oligochaeta in Neotropical shallow floodplain lakes

Abstract Aim: Identify the effects of sediment composition and water conditions on diversity, richness, evenness, density and composition of freshwater Oligochaeta in shallow floodplain lakes. Methods We sampled 13 shallow floodplain lakes quarterly during the year 2010 in the Upper Paraná River floodplain. In each lake, four sediment samples were taken from the shore and central regions, three of them were used for biological analysis, and one for granulometric analysis. Concomitantly, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, alkalinity, turbidity and chlorophyll-a were also measured. Initially, the biological samples were analyzed by a stereoscopic microscope. Oligochaeta individuals were identified under optical microscope at the lowest possible taxonomic level. For data analysis, we quantified density, richness, evenness and diversity index of freshwater Oligochaeta. In order to show differences between the months and the analyzed lakes, in relation to the percentages of coarse and fine organic material, the nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test was used. We also calculated the sediment granulometric diversity using the Shannon-Wienner index, using a simple regression analysis. We correlated assemblage attributes of Oligochaeta with sediment diversity and the assemblage species with the limnological variables using the Spearman correlation. Results A total of 2,090 individuals were found distributed among 27 species. From the total individuals number, 57% were Pristina americana, followed by Dero (Dero) righii with 13%. Assemblage attributes were not significantly correlated with sediment diversity, and 7 of the 27 species recorded showed significant correlations with at least some of the abiotic variables. Conclusions We verified that the abiotic variables of the water present greater influence on the attributes of the assemblage of freshwater Oligochaeta, when compared with sediment influences. Although we found low local diversity of this group, the wide range of water conditions offered by lakes culminates with a great species richness considering the whole landscape.

Preliminary survey of freshwater Oligochaeta from selected districts in Tamil Nadu (India)

AbstractA qualitative survey of freshwater Oligochaeta was conducted in selected districts of Tamil Nadu, India, from October 2013 to June 2015. Thirteen taxa were recorded from a total of 1,915 specimens of freshwater Oligochaeta examined from various random samples. Out of the 13 taxa 10 were identified to the species level, two were identified to genus level and one only to subfamily level. These provided the first reports of

The Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Oligochaeta Fauna of Turkish Thrace

In this study, freshwater Oligochaeta samples which were collected between the years 1985 and 1999 from different localities in Turkish Thrace were evaluated taxonomically. A total of 11 Oligochaeta species were determined. Also, all printed taxonomical studies on aquatic and semi-aquatic Oligochaeta fauna which were performed in Turkish Thrace until the present were discussed in this paper. As a result, it was gathered that a total of 37 species belonging Oligo- chaeta have been reported from Turkish Thrace. While the family Naididae was the most en- countered group with 27 species, it was followed by the family Enchytraeidae with 7 species. The families Haplotaxidae, Lumbricidae, and Propappidae were represented by only one spe- cies in Turkish Thrace.

First record of Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) in Azores

Abstract The present work reports the finding of an exotic and invasive annelid, Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892, in freshwaters of Sao Miguel Island – Azores archipelago (Atlantic Ocean). One specimen was found near the mouth of Ribeira Quente stream in the south of Sao Miguel on 7 May 2008. This study increases the number of freshwater Oligochaeta species occurring in the Azores from 8 to 9. Key words: invasive species, oceanic islands, freshwater, Azores The aquatic oligochaete, Branchiura sowerbyi , was first described by Beddard (1892) from a tank in the Royal Botanical Society's Garden in London, and is one of the most widespread freshwater oligochaetes in Europe and North America. It is also known from South-East Asia, South Africa, South America, Mauritius Island and Australia (Brinkhurst and Jamieson 1971). In Europe it could be found in 22 countries, including Portuguese mainland (Giani 2004). Its earliest records were restricted only to South-East Asia (Brinkhurst and Jamieson 1971) and to botanical gardens in Europe (Beddard 1892). Such distribution pattern led Grabowski and Jablonska (2009) to a conclusion that

Freshwater Oligochaeta in two mountain ranges in Europe: the Tatra Mountains (Poland) and the Alps (Italy)

The oligochaete fauna of littoral zones, infl ows and outfl ows of 11 lakes in the Polish Tatra Mountains and 10 lakes in the Italian Alps were compared. The study lakes were located in the alpine zone, they varied in size and depth, and were found prevalently on acidic crystalline bedrock containing a small percentage of calcare- ous rocks. On average, Oligochaeta represented from 10 to 17 % of the total benthic fauna. Enchytraeidae had the highest number of species (7 per group of lakes), while Naididae were next with 3 species. Common Enchytraeidae genera were: Cognettia, represented by the same species in both mountain ranges, and Cernosvitoviella, with 1 species in the Polish lakes (Cernosvitoviella tatrensis) and 3 species in the Italian lakes (Cernosvitoviella ampullax, C. atrata and C. microtheca). In the Naididae, the genus Nais was represented by 3 species in the two lake groups, but only 2 species with high percentages (Nais variabilis in the Tatras and Nais communis in the Alps). Although Naididae are more likely to be found in freshwater with more favourable environmental conditions, no correlation existed between pH or alkalinity and their geographical distribution. The results of a two-year study on Lake Czarny pod Rysami (Tatras) are also presented, highlighting the lower number of species collected in the present campaign than in the previous one, due to different sampling methods.

A Review of the Status and Distribution of the Free–Living Freshwater Oligochaeta of Ireland

The paucity of species inventories for the freshwater Oligochaeta in Ireland probably reflects the high level of taxonomic skill required to fully identify individual specimens. In many studies of the freshwater fauna the Oligochaeta are identified to order or family level only. During the present study, initiated by the Limnology Unit, Department of Zoology, University College Dublin, in excess of 1,100 records from 331 aquatic sites were compiled for a range of lotic and lentic habitats in the Republic of Ireland. In addition, a survey of the published literature was completed in order to augment records obtained in the field. Species-level identifications were undertaken on all suitable matenral, and a comprehensive checklist was generated. The field study yielded thirty five species in the families Naididae, Tubificidae and Lumbriculidae. This number rose to forty three species after a survey of published records. Lumbriculus variegatus (Muller) and Stylodrilus heringianus Clapar&de were the most frequently encountered species, being found at 191 and 155 sites respectively. Ten new Irish records were discovered during the course of this project.

A Review of the Status and Distribution of the Free-Living Freshwater Oligochaeta of Ireland

A Review of the Status and Distribution of the Free-Living Freshwater Oligochaeta of Ireland

Freshwater oligochaeta of some urban watercourses in the Russian far east

Abstract40 oligochaete species are identified in the lowland watercourses near Ussurijsk and Vladivostok. In the Razdol'naja River, Naididae are common, increasing in numbers in enriched urban stretches where tubificids become abundant, including Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède and Tubifex tubifex (Müller). A freshwater population of Monopylephorus rubroniveus Levinsen exists there. The endemics of the Amur zoogeographical Province, Haber amurensis (Sokol'skaja et Hrabê) and Piguetiella amurensis Sokol'skaja, are redescribed. Stylaria fossularis Leidy is a valid species. Rhyacodrilus coccineus (Vejdovsky) and its East Asian congeners form a closely related species complex. A new generic name is proposed instead Muliercula (Timm). According its oligochaete fauna, the Amur‐Japanese freshwater zoogeographical Subregion is closer to the Holarctic than to the Sino‐Indian Region.

Free Amino Acid Pools of Five Species of Freshwater Oligochaetes

The concentrations of free amino acids (FAA) were measured in five species of freshwater Oligochaeta (Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Tubifex tubifex, Potamothrix moldaviensis, Potamothrix vejdovskyi, and Stylodrilus heringianus) collected from southeastern Lake Michigan. Alanine represented between 23.1 and 41.8% of the total FAA pool and was the most abundant amino acid in all species. Leucine, valine, and glutamic acid were, respectively, the next most abundant and had similar relative concentrations in all species except T. tubifex. In T. tubifex, glutamic acid, asparagine, and aspartate were the second, third, and fourth most abundant FAA, respectively. Relative to other freshwater invertebrates, the total FAA pool of Lake Michigan oligochaetes was small. Differences in innate physiological and/or biochemical processes, dietary intake, and reproductive status may have contributed to the quantitative and qualitative differences observed among species. Identification of individual oligochaetes to species was accomplished by multivariate statistical analysis of the FAA profiles. A potential exists for the application of this technique for identifying immature oligochaetes.

Phylogenetic and taxonomic problems in freshwater Oligochaeta with special emphasis on chitinous structures in Tubificinae

Phylogenetic and taxonomic problems in freshwater Oligochaeta with special emphasis on chitinous structures in Tubificinae

Some fresh-water oligochaeta of Nagpur, India

The paper records the occurrence of 23 species of fresh-water oligochaetes belonging to five families collected in and around Nagpur City. Of these, Nais andina Cernosvitov is a new record for the Indian sub-continent and for the eastern hemisphere. Its sex organs are described for the first time here. Aulophorus moghei is new to science. Sixteen other species, Nais andina and Aulophorus moghei are planktonic forms and the rest inhabit mud at the bottom of water sources.

Some freshwater oligochaeta from Kashmir, India

Eight species of freshwater oligochaetes,Aeolosoma hemprichi EhrenbergNais communis Piguet,Nais variabilis Piguet,Stylaria fossularis Leidy,Aulophorus furcatus (Muller),Pristina longiseta longiseta Ehrenberg,Tubifex tubifex Muller, andLimnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparede are new to Kashmir, India.

La texture granulometrique des sediments et le regime alimentaire des oligochetes limnicoles

The mineral fraction of the gut content of various freshwater Oligochaeta (22 populations belonging to 13 species) from lakes, ponds, rivers and caves is compared with the texture of sediments. The author uses the mean ratio, for individuals of one population, between the greatest size of absorbed particles and the maximum diameter of the gut, to define the so-called ‘specific absorbance index’. The ecophysiological signification of this index is discussed.

Addendum: Freshwater Oligochaeta in Canada

Addendum: Freshwater Oligochaeta in Canada

Freshwater Oligochaeta in Canada

Seventy-nine of the total 136 American species of aquatic oligochaetes found in fresh water have been reported from Canada. Specaria fraseri and Ilyodrilus mastix are species new to science. Other species are recorded for the first time in Canada or in British Columbia. The Canadian species are listed by province.

The genera of the family Lumbriculidae and the genus Dorydrilus (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

Stephenson (1930) recognized 15 genera, and Hrabě (1936 to 1963) has distinguished 17 genera of Lumbriculidae, a family of freshwater Oligochaeta. On the basis of the form and arrangements of the parts of the genital system, a scheme is suggested in which 12 genera of Lumbriculidae are recognized. These genera are defined and a key erected for their identification. Reasons for removing Dorydrilus Piguet, 1913 from the Lumbriculidae are presented and the family Dorydrilidae fam. n. is defined to accommodate the genus.

Check-list of fresh-water Oligochaeta of the Indian sub-continent and Tibet

Check-list of fresh-water Oligochaeta of the Indian sub-continent and Tibet

The Fragmentation of Nais paraguayensis

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Fragmentation of Nais paraguayensisLibbie H. HymanLibbie H. Hyman Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 11, Number 2Apr., 1938 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/physzool.11.2.30151448 Views: 1Total views on this site Citations: 10Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in Physiological Zoology (1928-1998), which is continued by Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (1999-present). PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Alexandra E. Bely Journey beyond the embryo: The beauty of Pristina and naidine annelids for studying regeneration and agametic reproduction, (Jan 2022): 469–495.https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.12.020Gleyson B. Castro, Aline C. Bernegossi, Fernanda R. Pinheiro, Mayara C. Felipe, Juliano J. Corbi Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Freshwater Oligochaeta Allonais inaequalis (Stephenson, 1911) Under Conventional and Stressful Exposures, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 231, no.99 (Sep 2020).https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04845-yChiao‐Ping Chen, Sheridan Ke-Wing Fok, Yu‐Wen Hsieh, Cheng‐Yi Chen, Fei‐Man Hsu, Yao‐Hsiang Chang, Jiun‐Hong Chen General characterization of regeneration in Aeolosoma viride (Annelida, Aeolosomatidae), Invertebrate Biology 139, no.11 (Jan 2020).https://doi.org/10.1111/ivb.12277Eduardo E. Zattara, Alexandra E. Bely Investment choices in post-embryonic development: Quantifying interactions among growth, regeneration, and asexual reproduction in the annelid Pristina leidyi, Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 320, no.88 (Aug 2013): 471–488.https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.22523Gilberto Righi, Viviane Hamoui Oligochaeta, Naididae of the West Indies and adjacent regions, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 42, no.66 (Jan 2002): 119–167.https://doi.org/10.1590/S0031-10492002000600001Alexandra E. Bely Decoupling of fission and regenerative capabilities in an asexual oligochaete, (Jan 1999): 243–251.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4207-6_24Michael E. Smith Ecology of Naididae (Oligochaeta) from an alkaline bog stream: life history patterns and community structure, Hydrobiologia 133, no.11 (Feb 1986): 79–90.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00010805Richard Sibly, Peter Calow Asexual reproduction in protozoa and invertebrates, Journal of Theoretical Biology 96, no.33 (Jun 1982): 401–424.https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(82)90118-7M. A. LEARNER, G. LOCHHEAD, B. D. HUGHES A review of the biology of British Naididae (Oligochaeta) with emphasis on the lotic environment, Freshwater Biology 8, no.44 (Aug 1978): 357–375.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.1978.tb01457.x C. M. Child Differential Intracellular Oxidation and Reduction of Indicators in Relation to Fission, Physiological Zoology 22, no.22 (Sep 2015): 89–116.https://doi.org/10.1086/physzool.22.2.30152032