A Review of the Status and Distribution of the Free–Living Freshwater Oligochaeta of Ireland
2005
Trodd, Wayne R. | Kelly–Quinn, Mary | Sweeney, Pascal | Quirke, Bill
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 material, 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 (Mϋller) and Stylodrilus heringianus Claparède 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.
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