There are probably a couple of thousand species in Megascolecidae, none
that I know of have reproducing populations in freshwater. Although such
'true' earthworms (or their cocoons) are ocassionally reported from water
courses and streams that act as dispersal agents, it is other oligochaete,
especially microdrile, families that live and breed in aquatic habitats.
I cannot find records of Amynthas minimus (Horst, 1893) nor Amynthas
diffringens (Baird, 1869), which is now Amynthas corticis (Kinberg, 1867),
from streams although the latter species has been reported from "muddy
pool and stream banks". Gates (1972: 179) says this species is believed
to suffocate compratively quickly in water and to die after a few days in wet
clay or marly clay soil. Reference: Gates, G.E. (1972) Burmese
Earthworms. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. Vol 62(7).
Regards,
ROB
<robblakemore at bigpond.com>
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