- Almidae
Taxobox
name = Almidae
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Annelida
classis =Clitellata
subclassis =Oligochaeta
ordo =Opisthopora
familia = Almidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Alma"
"Calidrilus "
"Drilocrius "
"Glyphidrilocrius "
"Glyphidrilus "The animal family Almidae includes about six genera of segmented worms.
A notable peculiarity of some species in this family is a tendency to extensions of the body wall in the vicinity of or including the male pores. These extensions may be mere protuberances, as in some species of "Drilocrius"; or involve a greater extent of the body wall, as in genus "Glyphidrilocrius". They take the form of wing or keel-like structures called alae in "Glyphidrilus" species and paddle-shaped claspers in "
Drilocrius alfari ".They are also nicknamed
Earthworms .All species of genus "Alma" have claspers. The male pores are near the tips of these claspers, and they are furnished with genital
chaeta e and sucker-like structures.Most members of this family have one pair of male pores on segment 15 through 30. Female pores are located on segment 14. "
Glyphidrilus kukenthali " is one of only three ‘earthworm’ species known to have two pairs of female pores, in 13 and 14.A possibly related family is
Criodrilidae that contains genera "Criodrilus" and "Biwadrilus" with male pores in 15 and 13, respectively.Spermatheca e are absent (a rare condition in oligochaetes) and one to severalspermatophore s containing the sperm are transferred between partners and attached near the genital field.References
* [http://opuscula.elte.hu/OF/Review%20of%20Criodrilidae_proof.pdf Review of Criodrilidae (Annelida: Oligochaeta) including Biwadrilus from Japan]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
