List of Annelida of Ireland

This is a list of the Annelida recorded from Ireland.

In Ireland the number of species is -

Class Polychaeta 404 species Class Clitellata Subclass Oligochaeta 179 species Subclass Hirudinea 32 species

Taxonomy Here the leeches and oligochaetes are placed together in the Class Clitellata. The marine Polychaeta are ranked as a Class.These groups (and the Annelida) may be monophyletic, paraphyletic or polyphyletic. (Rouse and Pleijel, 2001).

Order Phyllodocida

Family Chrysopetalidae

2 species

Family Pisionidae

First segment projects forward of the head. Pisione.

1 species

Family Aphroditidae

"Felt"-covered scale worms. Aphrodita, Laetmonice, Palmyra (Palmyridae)

4 species including

• Aphrodita aculeata

Family Polynoidae

29 species including

• Alentia gelatinosa
• Gattyana cirrosa
• Lepidonotus squamatus

Family Pholoidae

Minute scale worms. Dorsal scales ringed. Pholoe, Pholoides images of Pholoidae

4 species

Family Sigalionidae

Scale worms (with dorsal scales) and compound neurosetae. Sigalion, Psammolyce, Sthenelais.

8 species including

• Sigalion mathildae

Family Phyllodocidae

Active predators with leaf-like dorsal cirri, notopodia otherwise reduced. Phyllodoce, Eumida Eteone and many others.

38 species including

• Eulalia viridis
• Eteone foliosa
• Eteone longa
• Eumida sanguinea
• Hesionura elongata
• Phyllodoce lineata
• Phyllodoce maculata
• Phyllodoce rosea

Family Chaetopteridae

1 species

• Chaetopterus variopedatus

Family Lacydoniidae

A small obscure family, perhaps with hesionid affinities. Short body and proboscis unarmed. Lacydonia.

1 species

Family Alciopidae

Slender pelagic forms with giant eyes. Vanadis, Alciopa.

3 species

Family Lopadorrhynchidae

Short pelagic forms. Lopadorrhynchus.

5 species

Family Typhloscolecidae

Transparent pelagic group with tapering bodies and foliaceous segmental cirri. Sagitella, Typhloscolex, Travisiopsis.

2 species

Family Tomopteridae

Flattened pelagic forms with long cirri on segment-two. Tomopteris

2 species

Family Glyceridae

Cylindrical forms with a conical prostomium and four jaws. Glycera, Hemipodus.

1 species

• Glycera alba

Family Goniadidae

Similar to Glyceridae with the anterior parapodia uniramous, multiple jaw- pieces, and chevron structures on the proboscis. Goniada, Glycinde.

3 species

Family Sphaerodoridae

Dorsal rows of spherical tubercles. Sphaerodorum.

4 species

Family Hesionidae

10 species

Family Pilargidae

1 species

Family Syllidae

38 species including

• Haplosyllis spongicola
• Sphaerosyllis levantina

Family Nereididae

10 species including

• Alitta succinea
• Alitta virens
• Hediste diversicolor
• Platynereis dumerilii
• Eunereis longissima

Family Nephtyidae

11 species including

• Nephtys cirrosa

Order Amphinomida

Family Amphinomidae

3 species

Order Spintherida

Family Spintheridae

1 species

Order Eunicida

Family Onuphidae

1 species

Family Eunicidae

8 species

Family Lumbrineridae

A Eunicida group lacking notopodia and with reduced or absent dorsal head appendages. Lumbrineris, Ninoe, Lysarete.

5 species

Family Oenonidae

Similar to Lumbrineridae with long maxillary carriers.Arabella, Drilonereis, Oenone.

3 species

Family Dorvilleidae

A Eunicida group with multiple jaw elements. Dorvillea, Ophryotrocha

6 species including

• Protodorvillea kefersteini

Order Orbiniida

Family Orbiniidae

3 species

Family Paraonidae

Resembling Spionidae (but unrelated). With or without a single antenna, with gills, and without palps.Paraonis, Aricidea.

13 species

Family Apistobranchidae

1 species

Family Poecilochaetidae

Fragile forms with stiff parapodial lobes and multiple simple setal types. Poecilochaetus.

1 species

Family Spionidae

31 species including

• Aonides paucibranchiata
• Scolelepis bonnieri
• Scolelepis squamata
• Spiophanes bombyx

Family Magelonidae

Small forms with a shovel-like head and papillose palp pair. Magelona.

5 species

Family Cirratulidae

12 species including

• Cirratulus cirratus

Order Cossurida

Family Cossuridae

Slender forms with a single median palp on dorsal side of one anterior setiger.

1 species

Order Flabelligerida

Family Flabelligeridae

Papillated body and cross-barred setae. Flabelligera,Diplocirrus, Brada.

4 species including

• Diplocirrus glaucus
• Diplocirrus incognitus

Family Acrocirridae

1 species

Order Capitellida

Family Capitellidae

9 species including

• Heteromastus filiformis

Family Arenicolidae

3 species including

• Arenicola marina

Family Maldanidae

Bamboo worms.Long and cyclindrical and truncate at one or both ends.Most with long, cylindrical segments with a pair of nuchal slits and a median cephalic keel.Maldane, Axiothella, Rhodine, Nicomache.

10 species

Order Opheliida

Family Opheliidae

9 species including

• Ophelina acuminata
• Thoracophelia flabellifera
• Ophelia limacina

Family Scalibregmatidae

Maggot-like or anteriorly inflated group with a small T-shaped prostomium. Scalibregma, Hyboscolex.

4 species including

• Scalibregma inflatum

Order Nerillida

Family Nerillidae

1 species

• Nerilla antennata

Order Polygordiida

Family Polygordiidae

Elongate nematode-like forms without setae, and with a stiff frontal tentacle pair. Polygordius.

2 species

Order Protodrilida

Family Protodrilidae

Minute forms without setae and with a flexible tentacle pair (near-frontal, but separated). They live in spaces between sediment grains. Protodrilus.

1 species

Order Polychaeta incertae sedis

• Dinophalus taeniatus

Family Saccocirridae

1 species

Order Oweniida

Family Oweniidae

2 species

Order Terebellida

Family Pectinariidae

3 species

Family Sabellariidae

3 species including

• Sabellaria alveolata
• Sabellaria spinulosa
• Sabella spallanzanii

Family Ampharetidae

Forms with no posterior notosetae and usually with simple, transversely-arranged gills. Ampharete, Melinna

5 species including

• Ampharete acutifrons

Family Trichobranchidae

Resemble Terebellidae but have long-handled hooks. Terebellides.

2 species

Family Terebellidae

23 species including

• Lanice conchilega
• Thelepus cincinnatus
• Lagis koreni

Order Sabellida

Family Sabellidae

19 species including

• Sabella pavonina

Family Serpulidae

8 species including

• Janua pagenstecheri
• Ficopomatus enigmaticus
• Serpula vermicularis
• Pomatoceros triqueter
• Pomatoceros lamarckii

Family Spirorbidae

Small asymmetric fan worms with coiled calcareous tubes cemented to algae and rock. Spirorbis.

8 species including

• Spirorbis spirorbis

Order Myzostomida

Family Myzostomidae

1 species

Class Aphanoneura

Family Aeolosomatidae

• Aeolosoma hemprichi
• Aeolosoma variegatum

Class Clitellata Subclass Oligochaeta

Order Opisthopora

Family Acanthodrilidae

1 species

Family Octochaetidae

1 species

Family Lumbricidae

26 species

• Allolobophora chlorotica
• Allolobophoridella eiseni
• Aporrectodea caliginosa
• Aporrectodea cupulifera
• Aporrectodea icterica
• Aporrectodea limicola
• Aporrectodea longa
• Aporrectodea rosea
• Dendrobaena attemsi
• Dendrobaena hortensis
• Dendrobaena octaedra
• Dendrobaena veneta
• Dendrodrilus rubidus
• Dendrodrilus subrubicundus
• Eisenia fetida
• Eisenia parva
• Eiseniella tetraedra
• Helodrilus oculatus
• Lumbricus castaneus
• Lumbricus festivus
• Lumbricus friendi
• Lumbricus rubellus
• Lumbricus terrestris
• Murchieona minuscula
• Octolasion cyaneum
• Octolasion lacteum
• Satchellius mammalis

Order Enchytraeida

Family Enchytraeidae

96 species

Order Tubificida

Family Naididae

50 species

Order Lumbriculida

Family Lumbriculidae

5 species

Class Clitellata Subclass Hirudinea

Order Arhynchobdellida

Family Erpobdellidae

5 species

Family Hirudinidae

1 species

• Hirudo medicinalis

Order Rhynchobdellida

Family Glossiphonidae

7 species

Family Ozobranchidae

2 species

Family Piscicolidae

17 species

References

• Fauna Europaea
• McIntosh, William Carmichael A monograph of the British marine annelids. London,The Ray society,1873/1900-1922/23.online
• Bellan, G. (2001) Polychaeta in Costello, M.J. (2001).European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels.
• P. J. Hayward and J. S. Ryland Eds., 1999 The Marine Fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe Oxford University Press ISBN 9780198540557
• Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E.(eds) 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas.Ulster Museum and The Marine Conservation Society, Belfast and Ross-on-Wye.
• Fauvel P., 1923. Polychètes errantes. Faune de France n° 5 488 p., 181 fig.PDF (25 Mo) (Identification)
• Fauvel P., 1927. Polychètes sédentaires. Faune de France n° 16 494 p., 152 fig.PDF (25 Mo) (Identification)
• World Register of Marine Species Searchable for Irish list

External links

• Bernard E. Picton and Christine C. Morrow Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
• MarLIN Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland.
• Roche C., Clarke S. & O’Connor B. (2005) Inventory of Irish marine wildlife publications. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 16. National Parks and Wildlife Service,Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland.
• Marine species identification portal
• Barnich, R Scale worms in British and Irish waters

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