Revision of the taxonomy of intertidal enchytraeidae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) of British Columbia, with a preliminary discussion regarding use of intertidal species associations to assess pollutant impacts
Date
1979
Authors
Coates, Kathryn Ann
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Abstract
A taxonomic survey of marine intertidal Enchytraeidae of British Columbia was made during 1976 to 1978. It was possible to cover a broad geographic range of British Columbia coastline. Vancouver Island was particularly well investigated.
Twenty-two species of four enchtraeid genera, Marionina, Lumbricillus, Grania, and Ecnhytraeus, were identified using standard staining and light microscope techniques. Nine taxa, Enchytraeus bonus n. sp., Grania n. sp., Lumbricillus tsimpseanis n. sp., L. curtus n. sp., L. rupertensis n. sp., Marionina vancouverensis n. sp., M. charlottensis n. sp., M. neroutsensis n. sp., M. trevori n. sp., are new to science. Other taxonomic descriptions were amended as required on the bases of new and type material. The generic positions of Enchytraeus multiannulatoides Altman, 1936 and E. multiannulatus Altman, 1936 were resolved to be Enchytraeus. Enchytraeus kincaidi Eisen, 1904 was proposed as the valid name for a taxon with synonymous names E. alaskae Eisen, 1904, E. modestus Eisen, 1904, and E. cryptosetosus Tynen, 1969. The generic position for Grania paucispina (Eisen, 1904) suggested be Erséus and Lasserre (1976) was confirmed. Synonymies of Lumbricillus georgiensis Tynen, 1969 and L. ritteri Eisen (in part), 1904 to L. pagenstecheri (Ratzel, 1869) sensu Nielsen and Christensen, 1959 and of L. ritteri Eisen (in part), 1904, Enchytraeus pugetensis Altman, 1931 and Lumbricillus vancouverensis Tynen to L. annulatus Eisen, 1904 were proposed. The original description for Lumbricillus eiseni Cernosvitov, 1937 nomen novum pro Marionina americana Eisen, 1904 was found to be consistent with Nielsen and Christensen's (1959) diagnosis for Marionina and Marionina americana Eisen, 1904 was re-erected as the valid taxon name.
A key to the authenticated British Columbia intertidal enchytraeid taxa was constructed.
New and undescribed intertidal enchytraeid species made in Neroutsos Inlet showed that marked species composition changes occurred at sites near the Port Alice pulp mill effluent into the inlet. Lumbricillus lineatus was found to have its habit distribution limited to perturbed areas very near the mill effluent. Such limited distributions of this species to perturbed areas were also noted at the Port Edward pulp mill near Prince Rupert and at Ocean Falls.
Identification to species of individual enchytraeid oligochaetes rather than enumeration of the total of unidentifiable individuals or of the total number of species present yielded most information regarding perturbation of communities. The additional information obtained exceeded in 'value' the additional effort required for specific identifications.
Scanning electron microscopy was preliminarily investigated as a tool of morphological description. The use of the S.E.M. with fractured specimens, to observe internal organs, may resolve many problems for future taxonomic investigators.