Bloodworms - Order: Tubificida
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Bloodworms or Tubifids are small, slender worms, normally no more than 30 mm long, found in marine and freshwater environments. Their colour ranges from pale beige brown to nearly black but many species are some shade of red, hence the generic name. There are currently two families accepted and of the 1200+ species within them more than 70 described species (from both familes) can be found in Australia. It is highly likely though that more species are yet to be discovered.
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Species of Tubificida are found on all continents except Antarctica but they tend to be scarce in the hotter, drier areas of the world. There are few terrestrial species but these do live in wet environments such as wet forest detritus or mosses. They are hermaphrodites, like earthworms, and reproduce by any of three means, sexually - laying eggs in protective cocoons, or asexually - by either fragmentation or by fission. Both involve the breaking off and re-growing of body parts.
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Tubifids are likely to be much more prevalent than actual observations seem to suggest so the lack of actual observations from the Northern Rivers is not a good indication of any particular taxons' absence. The taxonomy list below is not assumed to be complete but those mentioned appear to be the most likely to be encountered by those looking hard enough.
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Suborder: Tubificina
Family: Naididae
Subfamily: Limnodriloidinae
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Limnodriloides winckelmanni (likely occurrence)
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Subfamily: Naidinae
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Amphichaeta sp.
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Dero sp.
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Subfamily: Phallodrilinae
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Aktedrilus sp.
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Bathydrilus sp.
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Olavius sp.
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Subfamily: Pristininae
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Pristina sp.
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Subfamily: Rhyacodrilinae
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Branchiura sp.
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Rhyacodrilus sp.
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Subfamily: Rhyacodrilus
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Limnodrilus sp.
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Family: Phreodrilidae
Subfamily: Phreodrilinae
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Phreodrilus sp.
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Subfamily: Phreodriloidinae
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Astacopsidrilus sp.
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Annelida (Segmented Worms)
> Class: Clitellata (Clitellates)
> Subclass: Oligochaeta (Earthworms and Allies)
> Order: Tubificida (Tubifiids)
> Suborder: Tubificina
> Family: Naididae (Blood worms)
> Subfamily: Limnodriloidinae
> Genus: Limnodriloides
> Species: L. winckelmanni *
> Subfamily: Naidinae
> Genus: Amphichaeta
> Species: ?
> Genus: Dero
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Phallodrilinae
> Genus: Aktedrilus
> Species: ?
> Genus: Bathydrilus
> Species: ?
> Genus: Olavius
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Pristininae
> Genus: Pristina
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Rhyacodrilinae
> Genus: Branchiura
> Species: ?
> Genus: Rhyacodrilus
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Rhyacodrilus
> Genus: Limnodrilus
> Species: ?
> Family: Phreodrilidae
> Subfamily: Phreodrilinae
> Genus: Phreodrilus
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Phreodriloidinae
> Genus: Astacopsidrilus
> Species: ?
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/56a2b8e7-0448-48f7-b581-7eb1f7052781
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fission_(biology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragmentation_(reproduction)
https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/TFI/start%20key/key/Annelida%20key/Media/HTML/Tubificida.html
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/56a2b8e7-0448-48f7-b581-7eb1f7052781
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fission_(biology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragmentation_(reproduction)
https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/TFI/start%20key/key/Annelida%20key/Media/HTML/Tubificida.html
Photographic contributions: