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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Murchieona

Murchieona Gates, 1978 (ref. ID; 6916)

ref. ID; 6916

A. minuscula (Rosa, 1906) has been accepted to be placed in the genus Murchieona established by Gates (1978) (Mrsic 1991; Zicsi and Csuzdi 1999; Qiu and Bouche 1998). The unique anatomy of its calciferous pouches as described by Murchie (1956) is not known in any other lumbricid genus (finger-like shape with two chambers, the anterior one opens dorsally into the oesophagus whereas the posterior chamber communicates dorsally with the intralamellar tunnels of the calciferous gland). Our phylogenetic study does not allow establishing a clear position of this species within the family Lumbricidae. Furthermore, according to the distinct geographical distribution of the two species described within this genus, M. minuscula and M. muldali (Csuzdi and Pavlicek, 2002), it is likely that all the records cited in the European Atlantic area are indeed M. muldali. These two species were considered to be synonymous until recently (Zicsi and Csuzdi 1999) and therefore, a more specific study of their populations is needed to fully validate their taxonomic position. (ref. ID; 6916)
  1. Murchieona minuscula (Rosa, 1906) Gates, 1978 (ref. ID; 6916)
  2. Murchieona muldali (Csuzdi and Pavlicek, 2002) (ref. ID; 6916)