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Pontodrilus litoralis

earthworm

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: earthworm

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Atlantic Ocean - e.Africa - Cooks - Line, Hawai‘i - Mexico; n. to Japan, s. to Chatham NZ and Australia (possible origin).

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group; ?N.Group; Marine - Freshwater, upper intertidal; freshwater to saltwater

KEY FEATURES: This taxon has wide distribution on shorelines, mainly tropical. Its mode of dispersal is not known.

SIMILAR SPECIES: marine worms (eg. polychaetes) due to habitat.

Enlarged Image of 'Pontodrilus litoralis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
					P

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Pontodrilus litoralis (Grube, 1855)
SYNONYMS: Lumbricus litoralis [O]; Pontodrilus matsushimensis [incl. Gibbs for Aitutaki]; Pontodrilus bermudensis Pontodrilus insularis Pontodrilus arenae Pontodrilus hesperidium Pontodrilus michaelseni Pontodrilus ephippiger Pontodrilus chathamensis Pontodrilus laccadivensis Pontodrilus crosslandi Pontodrilus albanyensis Pontodrilus gracilis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ANNELIDA; OLIGOCHAETA; Haplotaxid; Lumbricina; MEGASCOLECIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: Size 30-120mm x 4mmØ, 80-120 segments, unpigmented. Clitellum forms complete band 13 to17-18 but may be interrupted by markings; dorsal pores absent; setae 8-per-segment. Female pores on 14, male pores on 18 beside longitudinal grooves, spermathecal pores7/8/9. Prostates paired, tubular in 18. Bioluminescent.

GENERAL NOTE: It is possible that this species has its origin in Australia or that its world distribution is due to its antiquity and stability of habitat. Nothing is known about its modes of reproduction and dispersal. Gut contains substrate, eg. in sandy beaches have sand. Also reported from mud in mangroves.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: Gibbs 1974. See also: Easton, E.G (1984) Earthworms (Oligochaeta) from islands of the south-western Pacific, and a note on two species from Papua New Guniea . N.Z J. Zool., 11:111-128.

References:
Special Reference: Easton, E.G (1984) Earthworms (Oligochaeta) from islands of the south-western Pacific, and a note on two species from Papua New Guniea . N.Z J. Zool., 11:111-128.

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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