Spenceriella gigantea

Spenceriella gigantea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Class:	Clitellata
Order:	Haplotaxida
Suborder:	Lumbricina
Family:	Megascolecidae
Genus:	Spenceriella
Species:	S. gigantea
Binomial name
Spenceriella gigantea (Benham, 1906)
Synonyms
Diporochaeta gigantea

Spenceriella gigantea, or the North Auckland worm, is a rare giant annelid of the family Megascolecidae, endemic to New Zealand.

The North Auckland worm is New Zealand's largest, reaching 1.4 m long, and 11 mm in diameter. Its burrows are up to 20 mm in diameter, and reach a depth of 3.5 m.^[1]

The type locality is on Little Barrier Island on a plateau 200 metres above sea level in forest subsoil.^[1] Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System it is classed a "Data Deficient".

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Lee, K. E. (1959). The earthworm fauna of New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 

External links

• Royal Society of New Zealand - Studies on the Earthworm Fauna of New Zealand. III