Key to Australian Freshwater and Terrestrial Invertebrates




Phylum Annelida


Key to the Orders and Families of Annelida

Common name: worms

The annelids are segmented worms with three body parts: a head, a region of repeated units that make up the majority of the body, and a terminal region called the pygidium. Annelids also possess chaetae; bundles of chitinous �hair-like� structures which can vary from long thin filaments to stout hooks. Annelids are found worldwide in marine, freshwater and moist terrestrial environments. Over 2,000 species are described from Australia but it is likely that the true diversity is much higher. The relationships within the Annelida are poorly resolved, but the phylum is generally broken down into Polychaeta and Clitellata. Polychaetes have multiple chaetae per body segment and are a mostly marine group, although some species are known from freshwater. Clitellata contains the earthworms, the freshwater worms and the leeches.

Capitella capitata.
Capitellidae - Capitella capitata, a polychaete worm
Image credit: Wikimedia commons � Hans Hillewaert
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license
Megascolecidae
Megascolecidae
Image credit: Arthur Chapman
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license
Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis) egg cocoon
Giant Gippsland Earthworm
(Megascolides australis) egg cocoon
Image credit: � Beverley Van Praagh, used with permission
Lumbriculidae - Lumbriculus variegatus
Lumbriculidae - Lumbriculus variegatus
Image credit: � Biopix: N Sloth
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license
tubifex tubifex (Naididae) aggregation
Naididae - Tubifex tubifex aggregation
Image credit: Stefano Pagnoni
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license
Arhynchobdellida - leech
Arhynchobdellida - leech
Image credit: Michael Jefferies
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license
Helobdella papillornata
Rhynchobdellida - Helobdella papillornata
Image credit: � Museum Victoria; Photographer: Chris Rowley
used under a Creative Commons Attribution license
Serpulidae - Ficopomatus
Serpulidae - Ficopomatussp.
Collector: Rob Morecroft
Image credit: � Andrew Bould, used with permission
Dipolydora socialis
Spionidae - Dipolydora socialis
Image credit: � The Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center (SERTC)
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, used with permission
Tubificida - Chaetogaster
Tubificida - Chaetogastersp.
Image credit: Marco Spiller
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike license




References and further information


ABRS Australian Faunal Directory: Annelida
Atlas of Living Australia:Annelida
Encyclopedia of Life: Annelida
Tree of Life: Annelida


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