Conserved and protected worms

[Geoff Read]

Dear Annelida listers,

This article caught my eye. The ampharetid Alkmaria romijni is protected 
under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the UK. Can anyone in the 
know tell us more about how this came about? And, more widely, are there 
any other protected, or (known to be) endangered polychaetes and other 
worms around the world? I know there are oligochaetes in trouble in 
Australia. This might be more uplifting to talk about rather than the usual 
negative case of polychaetes that are distinctly unwelcome!       

Gilliland, P. M., & W. G. Sanderson. 2000. Re-Evaluation of Marine 
Benthic Species of Nature Conservation Importance: A New Perspective 
on Certain 'Lagoonal Specialists' with Particular Emphasis on Alkmaria 
romijni Horst (Polychaeta: Ampharetidae). -  Aquatic conservation: marine 
and freshwater ecosystems, 10(1):1-12.   

Geoff
--
  Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.cri.nz>


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