Lake Pedder earthworm

The Lake Pedder Earthworm ( Hypolimnus pedderensis ) is the only species of the genus Hypolimnus from the family Megascolecidae. The species was only on the shores of Lake Pedder, Tasmania, known, it is now extinct by the construction of a dam.

Features

The body of the holotype is 50 mm long and 1.5 Millmeter wide, it is the rear end tapering. He has 129 segments. The front end and the dorsal side is brown. The clitellum extends from the middle of the thirteenth to the seventeenth segment, the paired female reproductive spores sitting on 14, the male on small elevations on 18; there is a pair of converted Begattungsborsten ( penises ) available. Dorsalporen missing at the front body, they are in the middle section (from about segment 35 ) are present. Per segment are the front body 10 to 12 setae present, their number is toward the rear at 24, by extra - Setaepaare caudal total to 28, too, these are in regular rows. In the segments 5, 6 and 7 parts of a gizzard is recognizable ( genus-specific feature ).

Taxonomy

This species was first described as Perionychella pedderensis 1974 by Jamieson and moved in 1996 by Blakemore in the genus Hypolimnus. Your membership genus is controversial and has long been unclear which there are many scientific synonyms: Diporochaeta pedderensis Jamieson, Perionychella pedderensis Dyne, Atlantodrilus pedderensis Blakemore.

Biology and life

Since this type only from the holotype, found in 1971 at the Lake Pedder beach on the island of Tasmania, is known, further details are not known to the life and reproduction. The species lived in the water-filled pore system ( interstitial, Psammal ) of loose sand beach of Lake Pedder original, at the mouth of the creek Marina Creek. Related species are presumed in hard to reach the catchment area of the stream, a relatively similar, undescribed species ( in the genus Perionychella subgenus Vesiculodrilus provided) was found there.

Extinction

When the lake was dammed in 1972 by three dams, disappeared the beaches of Lake Pedder original and with them the Lake Pedder Earthworm. Since all other search proved unsuccessful to locate the type lists the IUCN this type in the category Extinct ( extinct).

Swell

  • Robert J. Blakemore: Re -description of the lake pedder earthworm Hypolimnus pedderensis, the first earthworm listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species the word 's Earthworms / Hpedderensis.pdf PDF to annelida.net
  • Robert J. Blakemore (2000): Taxonomic and conservation status of earthworms from Lake Pedder, Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area. Records of the Queen Victoria Museum 109: 1-36.
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