A Surprising Diversity of Aquatic Oligochaetes (Annelida: Clitellata) on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku (New Zealand), With a Checklist of Sub‐Antarctic and Antarctic Microdrile Oligochaetes

A surprising diversity of aquatic oligochaetes (Annelida: Clitellata) has been discovered on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku, New Zealand. The study, conducted during the 2010/11 austral summer as part of the Campbell Island Bicentennial Expedition, recorded 19 species, including six Naididae, nine Enchytraeidae, and four Phreodrilidae, bringing the total number of microdrile species known from the island to 20. At least nine species are endemic to Campbell Island, with two new genera and four new species described. The fauna exhibits biogeographic affinities with other Southern Ocean/sub-Antarctic islands and high-latitude regions of southern continents, such as Macquarie Island and Tasmania. Species richness on Campbell Island far exceeds that of Macquarie Island, where only six species have been documented. The study highlights the need for further research to better understand the origins of this diversity and compare it with other islands.

Pinder, A. M., Schmelz, R. M., McMurtrie, S., & James, A. (2026). A Surprising Diversity of Aquatic Oligochaetes (Annelida: Clitellata) on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku (New Zealand), With a Checklist of Sub‐Antarctic and Antarctic Microdrile Oligochaetes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 60(3). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/nzm2.70051