Five Species of Aquatic Oligochaetes New to Iran with an Updated Checklist

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies International Journal of Oceanography and Hydrobiology

Volume 43, Issue 1

ISSN 1730-413X (100–105) eISSN 1897-3191 2014

DOI: 10.2478/s13545-014-0121-3 Received: October 25, 2013 Short communication Accepted: January 20, 2014

Five species of aquatic oligochaetes new INTRODUCTION to Iran with an updated checklist Although terrestrial oligochaetes of Iran are

known from numerous studies (eg. Latif et al. 2009,

1,* 2 Yousefi et al. 2009, Ezzatpanah et al. 2010), the Aleksandra Jabłońska , Vladimir Pešić species living in inland waters were mentioned only in a few papers. The first information comes from Stephenson (1920), who recorded four species. 1 Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Egglishaw (1980) added one species to this short list. University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, PL-90-237 Łódź, Aliyev & Ahmadi (2010) found four species of Poland aquatic oligochaetes, including three new to the fauna 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of of Iran. Ahmadi et al. (2011) provided data about Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b., 81000 Podgorica, only two species (one new to the country). Ardalan et Montenegro al. (2011) added another species new to Iran. Ahmadi et al. (2012) presented a list of 10 species, including four new to the Iranian fauna. The aim of this paper is to provide information Key words: Clitellata, oligochaetes, fauna, freshwater about the presence of further five species new to Iran and update the checklist of oligochaetes occurring in the inland waters of the country. The hydrological network of Iran is poorly developed. It belongs to the Indian Ocean and the Abstract Caspian Sea catchments. Nevertheless, the major parts of the country are closed drainage basins with Only 14 species of aquatic oligochaetes occurring in inland waters of Iran have been recorded until now. Our investigations many shallow salty lakes and, mostly temporary, based on samples collected in 2003 and 2005 revealed the rivers, some of which carry saline water (McCoy presence of six species, including five new to the fauna of Iran: 2003). Haplotaxis gordioides, Dero dorsalis, Pristina breviseta, Embolocephalus velutinus and Psammoryctides albicola. The provided checklist of Iranian aquatic oligochaetes is still very short (19 species). It is MATERIALS AND METHODS mostly represented by common, cosmopolitan species. However, taking into account the large area of the country, its mountainous The analyzed material came from 10 sampling terrain and peculiar hydrological network, more species may be sites located in various parts of Iran (Fig. 1): discovered in the future. Site 1 − A pond located in the city of Nowshahr, Mazandaran Province. Bottom substrate: mud. Sampling date: 18.06.2005

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

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Site 2 – Rheohelocrenic spring, 75 km from the city of Chalus, Elbrus Mt., Mazandaran Province. Bottom substrate: mud and detritus. Sampling dates: 17.07.2003 and 18.08.2003

Site 3 − A stream in the forest − interstitial dig, Tilikenar near the city of Warabon (ca. 25 km from the city of Chalus city), Mazandaran Province. Bottom substrate: sand and gravel. Sampling date: 17.06.2005

Site 4 − the Shahrestanak River − interstitial dig, Elbrus Mt., Tehran Province. Bottom substrate: sand and gravel. Sampling date: 18.08.2003

Site 5 – the Pole Doab stream 15 km downstream from the city of Shahzand, Markazi Province. Bottom substrate: gravel and detritus. Sampling date: 21.07.2003 Fig. 1. Locations of sampling sites in Iran

Site 6 – the Gamasiab stream in the Fiazman village (5 km from the city of Nahavandh) – interstitial dig, Hamedan Province. Bottom substrate: sand and procedure see Pešić et al. 2012). The collected gravel. Sampling date: 23.08.2003 individuals were preserved in 3% formalin and subsequently transferred to 75% ethyl alcohol. All Site 7 – the Darband stream in the Darband village the individuals were eventually mounted on slides in (the road from Azna to Dorood, ca. 16 km from the polyvinyl lactophenol and identified using the Azna city), Lorestan Province. Bottom substrate: available keys (Brinkhurst & Jamieson 1971; gravel and detritus. Sampling date: 23.06.2005 Kasprzak 1981; Timm 2009).

Site 8 – the Chalanchulan stream in the Chalanchulan RESULTS AND DISCUSSION city (the road from Borujerd to Khorram Abad, ca. 75 km to Khorram Abad), Lorestan Province. During the present study, six species of Bottom substrate: gravel and detritus. Sampling date: Oligochaeta were recorded. Additionally, immature 24.06.2005 individuals of Tubificinae (Naididae) and Enchytraeidae were found. Five species in the Site 9 – A spring near the city of Sarabe – bede – collected material were new to the Iranian fauna: Sarkh, Kermanshah Province. Bottom substrate: Haplotaxis gordioides, Dero dorsalis, Pristina breviseta, gravel and detritus. Sampling date: 27.06.2005 Embolocephalus velutinus and Psammoryctides albicola. The sixth species, Chaetogaster limnaei was previously Site 10 – A stream in the Simk village – interstitial reported (Stephenson 1920). dig, Kerman Province. Bottom substrate: sand and The total number of aquatic Oligochaeta in Iran gravel. Sampling date: 27.07.2003 includes now 19 species. All the aquatic Oligochaeta species from Iran are listed below. The brief The material was collected with a hand net, rinsed information about their occurrence in Iran is on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm and sorted provided in Table 1. on the spot. Hyporheic habitats were sampled according to the Karaman-Chappuis method by Family: Haplotaxidae digging a hole in the sediment down to the groundwater level, allowing water to fill the bottom Haplotaxis gordioides (Hartmann, 1821) of the pit, then the water was collected with a dish and filtered through a plankton net (for the Material: two specimens from stations 4 and 5

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102 | Aleksandra Jabłońska, Vladimir Pešić

Table 1

List of aquatic Oligochaeta from Iran Species Reference 1 Aulodrilus pigueti Kowalewski, 1914 Aliyev and Ahmadi (2010), Ahmadi et al. (2012) 2 Aulophorus furcatus (Oken, 1815) Ahmadi et al. (2012) 3 Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 Aliyev and Ahmadi (2010), Ahmadi et al. (2011), Ahmadi et al. (2012) 4 Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828) Stephenson (1920) 5 Chaetogaster limnaei Baer, 1827 Stephenson (1920), present study 6 Dero dorsalis Ferronière, 1899 present study 7 Embolocephalus velutinus (Grube, 1879) present study 8 Haplotaxis gordioides (Hartmann, 1821) present study 9 Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède, 1862 Ahmadi et al. (2011), Ahmadi et al. (2012) 10 Limnodrilus udekemianus Claparède, 1862 Ahmadi et al. (2012) 11 Lumbriculus variegatus (Müller, 1774) Ahmadi et al. (2012), Basim et al. (2012) 12 Nais communis Piguet, 1906 Stephenson (1920) 13 Ophidonais serpentina (Müller, 1774) Ardalan et al. (2011) 14 Pristina breviseta Bourne, 1891 present study 15 Psammoryctides albicola (Michaelsen, 1901) present study 16 Rhyacodrilus coccineus (Vejdovský, 1875) Ahmadi et al. (2012) 17 Spirosperma ferox Eisen, 1879 Aliyev and Ahmadi (2010), Ahmadi et al. (2012) 18 Stylaria lacustris (Linnaeus, 1767) Stephenson (1920), Aliyev and Ahmadi (2010), Ahmadi et al. (2012) 19 Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) Egglishaw (1980), Pourang (1996), Ahmadi et al. (2012)

Characteristics of the examined specimens: Worms River. Ahmadi et al. (2012) found the species in the with 220-238 segments, 50-56 mm long. Long Noruzloo Reservoir located on the middle section of prostomium with a transverse groove. Ventral the Zarrineh River. chaetae large, thick, simple-pointed, sigmoid, with nodulus, arranged singly in bundles. Dorsal chaetae Aulophorus furcatus (Oken, 1815) absent in all segments. Immature individuals. A Holarctic species known from various epigean and A common, cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) subterranean cool waters (Timm 2009). In the found in Iran by Ahmadi et al. (2012) in the Zarrineh present study, it was found in interstitial waters on River in the West Azarbaijan Province. sand, gravel and detritus substrates of epigean flows. The species is new to Iranian fauna. Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892

Family: Lumbriculidae A cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) found in the Aras River by Aliyev & Ahmadi (2010) and in the Lumbriculus variegatus (Müller, 1774) Urmia Lake wetlands by Ahmadi et al. (2011). Ahmadi et al. (2012) found the species in bottom A common, Holarctic species (Timm 2009) deposits of two reservoirs: Noruzloo (located on the reported from Iran by Ahmadi et al. (2012), who middle section of the Zarrineh River) and Bukan found it in the Zarrineh River in the West Azarbaijan (located on the upper course of the Zarrineh River). Province. Basim et al. (2012) collected the species in sediments of Jabery and Ravansar springs in Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828) Kermanshah Province and used it in the investigation conducted in the Ahvaz wastewater treatment plant. A common, almost cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) reported by Stephenson (1920) as Chaetogaster Family: Naididae punjabensis from an artificial channel in Zābol (Nasratabad). Aulodrilus pigueti Kowalewski, 1914 Chaetogaster limnaei Baer, 1827 A cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) reported from Iran by Aliyev & Ahmadi (2010) from the Aras Material: one specimen from station 8

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Characteristics of the examined specimens: A single al. (2011). Ahmadi et al. (2012) reported the species individual with 12 segments, 2 mm long. Chaetae from bottom deposits of Noruzloo and Bukan with the upper tooth slightly shorter than the lower Reservoirs. one. An immature individual found on gravel and detritus substrates of epigean flow. Limnodrilus udekemianus Claparède, 1862 A common, cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009). Previously reported by Stephenson (1920) as A common, cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) Chaetogaster bengalensis from a small desert pool with a reported from Iran by Ahmadi et al. (2012), from the muddy bottom and rich vegetation composed of Zarrineh River, and Noruzloo Reservoir located on Potamogeton sp. and reeds, near Zābol (Nasratabad). the middle section of this river. The specimens were found on pond snails (Lymnaea sp.). Nais communis Piguet, 1906

Dero dorsalis Ferronière, 1899 A common, cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) reported from Iran by Stephenson (1920) from the Material: two specimens from station 1 muddy bottom of a water channel in Zābol (Nasratabad) and from slightly brackish water of the Characteristics of the examined specimens: Worms Sistan Lake. with 54-59 segments, 11-12 mm long. No eyes. Dorsal bundles present from IV with 1-2 hair chaetae Ophidonais serpentina (Müller, 1774) and 1-2 bifid needle chaetae. Ventral chaetae 3-6 per bundle. Five pairs of gills in the caudal end. Reported by Ardalan et al. (2011) from mantle Immature individuals. and branchial cavities of the freshwater crab, Potamon A common species in Europe, Asia and Australia persicum Pretzmann, 1962, found in the Jajrood River. (Timm 2009). In the present study, it was recorded Although this finding is very likely as O. serpentina is a from a pond with a muddy bottom. The species is common, Holarctic species (Timm 2009), the new to Iranian fauna. description and drawings of the diagnostic characteristics provided by the authors throw some Embolocephalus velutinus (Grube, 1879) doubts on the species identification.

Material: 16 specimens from stations 3 and 4 Pristina breviseta Bourne, 1891

Characteristics of the examined specimens: Worms Material: 26 specimens from stations 3, 5 and 10 with 43-66 segments, 19-25 mm long. Dorsal bundles with 1-2 hair and 1-2 very short bifid chaetae. Ventral Characteristics of the examined specimens: Worms chaetae simple pointed, curved, 1-2 per bundle. Body with 31-52 segments, 8-11 mm long. Prostomium covered with small papillae. Two circles of larger with short or without tentacle. One hair and one papillae in each segment. Immature individuals. needle chaeta in dorsal bundles. Needle chaetae bifid This rare species is known from streams and deep with very long, equal teeth. Ventral chaetae 3-5 per oligotrophic lakes. It was reported from Central and bundle, 1-2 in posterior segments. Immature Southern Europe and from Siberia (Brinkhurst & individuals. Jamieson 1971, Timm 2009). Jaweir (2011) found E. Species known from South-Eastern Asia, Europe, velutinus in Iraq. In the present study, the species was North and South America (Brinkhurst & Jamieson found in the sand and gravel substrate of 1971, Timm 2009). In the present study, it was subterranean waters. The species is new to Iranian recorded from the sand and gravel substrate of fauna. subterranean waters and from a gravel bottom of an epigean stream. The species is new to Iranian fauna. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède, 1862 Psammoryctides albicola (Michaelsen, 1901) A very common, cosmopolitan species (Timm 2009) found in the Aras River by Aliyev & Ahmadi Material: one specimen from station 7 (2010) and in the Urmia Lake wetlands by Ahmadi et

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104 | Aleksandra Jabłońska, Vladimir Pešić

Characteristics of the examined specimens: A worm mentioned only in general, as one of the groups of with 64 segments, 14 mm long. 2 pectinate and 1-2 benthic organisms found during some other studies. hair chaetae in anterior and 1 pectinate, 1 hair chaeta The list of aquatic Oligochaeta species reported from in posterior dorsal bundles. Ventral chaetae bifid Iran consists mostly of common, cosmopolitan or with a thinner and shorter upper tooth, 2-3 in Holarctic species. However, taking into consideration anterior and 1-2 in posterior bundles. Immature the geographical features of the country, such as a individuals. large area, mountainous terrain as well as a specific A common, Palaearctic species known from character of the hydrological network, it is very likely various fresh waters (Timm 2009). In the present that many more species may be found in the future. study, it was recorded from the gravel substrate of an Due to peculiar environmental conditions, also rare epigean flow. The species is new to Iranian fauna. species are expected in this area. Therefore, further field studies are needed to assess the biodiversity of Rhyacodrilus coccineus (Vejdovský, 1875) the Oligochaeta fauna of Iran.

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