Anisochaeta gigantea (formerly Spenceriella gigantea or Celeriella gigantea),[1][2][3] commonly called the North Auckland worm, is a rare giant annelid of the family Megascolecidae, endemic to New Zealand.

Anisochaeta gigantea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Family: Megascolecidae
Genus: Anisochaeta
Species:
A. gigantea
Binomial name
Anisochaeta gigantea
(Benham, 1906)
Synonyms
  • Diporochaeta gigantea
  • Anisochaeta gigantea
  • Celeriella gigantea
  • Spenceriella gigantea

The North Auckland worm is New Zealand's largest, reaching 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) long, and 11 mm (0.43 in) in diameter. Its burrows are up to 20 mm (0.79 in) in diameter, and reach a depth of 3.5 m (11 ft).[4]

The type locality is on Little Barrier Island on a plateau 200 metres (660 ft) above sea level in forest subsoil.[4] Under both the New Zealand Threat Classification System and IUCN Redlist it is classed a "Data Deficient".[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ Blakemore, R.J. (2006). "Checklist of New Zealand earthworms updated from Lee (1959)" (PDF). Annelida Website.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Blakemore, R.J. (2012). "On Schmarda's lost earthworm and some newly found New Zealand species". Journal of Species Research 1(2): 105–132.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Blakemore, R.J. (2014). "Miscellaneous Earthworm types in British Museum of Natural History, London" (PDF). Opuscula Zoologica 45(2): 119–155.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b Lee, K. E. (1959). The earthworm fauna of New Zealand. Wellington: NZ Department of Scientific & Industrial Research.
  5. ^ Blakemore, R.J. (2017). "Anisochaeta gigantea". IUCN Redlist.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
edit