Vejdovsky, 1884a; Benham, 1890
Type genus Nais Müller, 1774. Named Naidomorpha by Vejdovsky, 1884a, and Naididae by Benham, 1890. Divided into subfamilies in different ways by various authors; recent division into Naidinae and Stylariinae by Nemec and Brinkhurst, 1987. Belongs to another family, Tubificidae, in the cladistic sense.
Number of species about 215. In fresh waters of NWE, 51 species:
Amphichaeta leydigi Tauber, 1879
Amphichaeta sannio Kallstenius, 1892
Arcteonais lomondi (Martin, 1907)
Aulophorus furcatus (Müller, 1774)
Chaetogaster cristallinus Vejdovsky, 1884a
Chaetogaster diaphanus (Gruithuisen, 1828)
Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828)
Chaetogaster langi Bretscher, 1896
Chaetogaster limnaei Baer, 1827
Chaetogaster setosus Svetlov, 1925
Dero digitata (Müller, 1774)
Dero dorsalis Ferronière, 1899
Dero nivea Aiyer, 1930
Dero obtusa D'Udekem, 1855
Haemonais waldvogeli Bretscher, 1900a
Homochaeta naidina Bretscher, 1896
Homochaeta setosa (Moszynski, 1933)
Nais alpina Sperber, 1948
Nais barbata Müller, 1774
Nais behningi Michaelsen, 1923
Nais bretscheri Michaelsen, 1899
Nais christinae Kasprzak, 1973
Nais communis Piguet, 1906a
Nais elinguis Müller, 1774
Nais pardalis Piguet, 1906a
Nais pseudobtusa Piguet, 1906a
Nais simplex Piguet, 1906a
Nais stolci Hrabe, 1981
Nais variabilis Piguet, 1906a
Ophidonais serpentina (Müller, 1774)
Paranais botniensis Sperber, 1948
Paranais frici Hrabe, 1941
Paranais litoralis (Müller, 1784)
Piguetiella blanci (Piguet, 1906a)
Pristina aequiseta Bourne, 1891
Pristina longiseta Ehrenberg, 1831
Pristinella amphibiotica ( Lastockin, 1927)
Pristinella bilobata (Bretscher, 1903)
Pristinella jenkinae (Stephenson, 1931)
Pristinella menoni (Aiyer, 1930)
Pristinella notopora (Cernosvitov, 1937a)
Pristinella osborni (Walton, 1906)
Pristinella rosea (Piguet, 1906a)
Ripistes parasita (Schmidt, 1847)
Slavina appendiculata (D'Udekem, 1855)
Specaria josinae (Vejdovsky, 1884a)
Stylaria lacustris (Linnaeus, 1767)
Uncinais uncinata (Orsted, 1842)
Vejdovskyella comata (Vejdovsky, 1884a)
Vejdovskyella intermedia (Bretscher, 1896)
Vejdovskyella macrochaeta (Lastockin, 1921)
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Description
Oligochaetes with plesioporous male duct equipped with atrium; spermathecae in testicular segment (before clitellum and segment with male pores), variable number of chaetae per bundle, and often with hair chaetae and modified short (pectinate, needle) chaetae in dorsal bundles, like in Tubificidae. The only family of oligochaetes, with prevailing asexual reproduction by paratomy (budding), resulting in a genetically fixed forward shift of whole reproductive apparatus, with male pores in V, VI, or VIII in different genera. Some forms have simple eyes, as a unique character in Oligochaeta. Many forms are able to swim. Mature individuals occur seldom; however, many external characters, as different specialized locomotory chaetae, body appendages, etc. enable identification of the immature specimens.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan.
Ecology
In various freshwater bodies, seldom in slightly brackish water, living mostly on water plants and on the surface of bottom sediment. Feeding on detritus and unicellular algae; a few forms are predatory or parasitic.
Reproduction
Mostly asexual, by paratomy (budding). Four, five or seven anterior segments developing in the budding zone, in different genera. Maturing and sexual reproduction rare or seasonal, mostly before winter or draught periods. Cocoons with single egg, often attached to substratum.
Literature
Vejdovsky, 1884a: 22-25; Benham, 1890: 217; Sperber, 1948: 57; Sperber, 1950: 45-78, Pl. I-III; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 304-306; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 190-194; Hrabe, 1981: 29-31; Kasprzak, 1981: 89-90; Nemec and Brinkhurst, 1987: 691-707.