Genus Anisochaeta Beddard, 1890

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Genus Anisochaeta Beddard, 1890

Anisochaeta Beddard, F.E. 1890. Observations upon an American species of Perichaeta, and upon some other members of the genus. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1890: 52-69 [56].

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Tasmania

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

NSW: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Channel Country (CHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD) ; Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Diagnosis

Colour typically pallid. Setae in the forebody 8 to 12 per segment, in the hindbody 8, or 12 to 50. A pair of combined male and prostatic pores on XVIII. Spermathecal pores 2 pairs, in or shortly behind 7/8 and 8/9. Last hearts in XII or XIII. Oesophagus in VIII, IX, X-XIII. Intestine commencing in XVI. Meronephric with (always?), caudally, multiple preseptal nephrostomes. Holandric (or metandric?). Prostates racemose. Spermathecae with one, or two, uniloculate diverticula. (After Jamieson 2000)

Anisochaetine or perichaetine (i.e. setae eight per segment in the anterior, increasing posteriorly, or more than eight throughout). Female pores, single or paired, on 14. Male pores from tubuloracemose or racemose prostates paired on 18. Dorsal pores present, or absent (e.g. in A. mawbanna sp. nov.). An oesophageal gizzard in 5 or 6 (large and almost divided in two in A. zeehan, or not developed, e.g. in A. clavi). Nephridia meroic, at least in the forebody, avesiculate or vesiculate, often tufted in the anterior. Spermathecae one or more pairs (sometimes unpaired), with one or more diverticula that are clavate, bifid, or sometimes multiloculate (e.g. in A. alba, A. brevis, A. floris, A. isla and A. portusarturi). Calciferous glands and typhlosole present or absent; intestinal caeca and gizzards absent. Penial setae present or absent. Segmental and intersegmental genital markings usually present but sometimes reduced or absent (e.g. A sebastiani). (After Blakemore 2000)

Diagnosis References

Blakemore, R.J. & Kingston, T.J. 1997. Opisthogastric earthworms (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) and allied forms in north-western Tasmania. Journal of Natural History 31(11): 1683-1708 [454] (the greatly expanded diagnosis of Anisochaeta of Blakemore & Kingston (1997), Blakemore (1997, 2000) encompasses several additional genera)

Jamieson, B.G.M. 2000. Native Earthworms of Australia (Megascolecidae, Megascolecinae). Enfield, New Hampshire, USA : Science Publishers, Inc. [CD ROM] 2506 pp. [Date published 12 December 2000] [142] (accepted the 'resurrection' of Anisochaeta 'despite its disuse since 1890' but considered the diagnosis of Blakemore & Kingston (1997) and Blakemore (1997) (later also retained by Blakemore (2000)) to be too broad; retained the earlier diagnosis with only relatively minor emendation)

General References

Blakemore, R.J. & Kingston, T.J. 1997. Opisthogastric earthworms (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) and allied forms in north-western Tasmania. Journal of Natural History 31(11): 1683-1708 [1685-1686] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement the greatly expanded diagnosis of Anisochaeta of Blakemore & Kingston (1997), Blakemore (1997, 2000) encompasses several additional genera, one in its entirety (Trichaeta), others in part (Megascolex, Perichaeta, Spenceriella and Gemascolex); this expanded diagnosis was rejected by Jamieson (2000))