Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Global diversity of nemerteans (Nemertea) in freshwater

  • Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most ribborn worms (phylum Nemertea) are marine and only 22 of the currently named around 1,200 species are known from freshwater habitats (mainly lakes/ponds). They are all free-living benthic forms found in all continents except Antarctica. The vast majority of species have been recorded from the Palearctic region, but this may reflect sampling efforts rather than biogeography.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dawydoff, C., 1937. Une Métanémerte nouvelle, appartenant á un groupe purement marin, provenant du Grand Lac du Cambodge. Compte rendu hebdomadaire de Séances de l′Academie des Sciences, Paris 204: 804–806.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R., 1995. Nemertean genera and species of the world: An annotated checklist of original names and description citations, synonyms, current taxonomic status, habitats and recorded zoogeographic distribution. Journal of Natural History 29: 271–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R. & J. Moore, 1976. Freshwater nemerteans. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 58: 177–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R. & J. Moore, 1978. Freshwater nemerteans: New records of Prostoma and a description of Prostoma canadiensis sp. nov. Zoologischer Anzeiger 201: 77–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R. & J. Moore, 1989. Functional requirements for the invasion of land and freshwater habitats by nemertean worms. Journal of Zoology, London 219: 517–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giribet, G. G., D. L. Distel, M. Polz, W. Sterrer & W. C. Wheeler, 2000. Triploblastic relationships with emphasis on the acoelomates and the position of Gnathostomulida, Cycliophora, Plathelminthes and Chaetognatha: A combined approach of 18S rDNA sequences and morphology. Systematic Biology 49: 539–562.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. & R. Gibson, 1985. The evolution and comparative physiology of terrestrial and freshwater nemerteans. Biological Reviews 60: 257–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. & R. Gibson, 1988. Further studies on the evolution of land and freshwater nemerteans: Generic relationships among the paramonostiliferous taxa. Journal of Zoology, London 216: 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norenburg, J. L. & S. A. Stricker, 2002. Phylum Nemertea. In Young, C., M. Sewell & M. Rice (eds), Atlas of Marine Invertebrate Larvae. Academic Press, 163–177.

  • Strand, M. & P. Sundberg, 2005a. Delimiting species in the hoplonemertean genus Tetrastemma (phylum Nemertea): Morphology is not concordant with phylogeny as evidenced from mtDNA sequences. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 86: 201–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strand, M. & P. Sundberg, 2005b. Genus Tetrastemma Ehrenberg, 1831 (phylum Nemertea)—a natural group? Phylogenetic relationships inferred from partial 18S rRNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 144–152.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sundberg, P., 1989. Phylogeny and cladistic classification of the paramonostiliferous family Plectonemertidae (phylum Nemertea). Cladistics 5: 87–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundberg, P., J. M. Turbeville & S. Lindh, 2001. Phylogenetic relationships among higher nemertean (Nemertea) taxa inferred from 18S rRNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20: 327–334.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thollesson, M. & J. L. Norenburg, 2003. Ribbon worm relationships: A phylogeny of the phylum Nemertea. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London. Series B. 270: 407–415.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Göteborg University, P.O. Box 463, Goteborg, 405 30, Sweden

    Per Sundberg

  2. School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

    Ray Gibson

Authors
  1. Per Sundberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ray Gibson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Per Sundberg.

Additional information

Guest editors: E.V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens

Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sundberg, P., Gibson, R. Global diversity of nemerteans (Nemertea) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595, 61–66 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9004-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9004-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation