Kazimierzidae Nxele & Plisko

Nxele, Thembeka C., Plisko, J. D., Mwabvu, Tarombera & Zishiri, T. O., 2016, A new family Kazimierzidae for the genus Kazimierzus, earlier recorded to the composite Microchaetidae (Annelida, Oligochaeta), African Invertebrates 57 (2), pp. 111-117 : 112-113

Taxon classification Animalia Oligochaeta

Kazimierzidae Nxele & Plisko fam. n.

Type genus.

Kazimierzus Plisko, 2006: 46.

Diagnosis.

Dorsal blood vessel simple throughout the body, rarely enlarging in segments 8 or 9. Excretory system holoic with nephridial bladders proclinate J–shaped. Testes arranged in holandric (male funnels in segments 10 and 11) or metandric (male funnels in segment 11) condition, enclosed or free. Seminal vesicles one or two pairs, confined to one or two segments (in 11 or 12, or in 11 and 12); the latter pair may be extended backwards, behind segment 12 (sometimes to segment 30). Spermathecae testicular or post testicular. Oesophageal gizzard in 7, muscular. Some of the preclitellar septa 4/5-9/10 variably thickened. Calciferous glands not stalked, in one or two segments (9, 10 or 11): encircling oesophagus with vestigial medial and dorsal grooves, or dorsoventral, paired, with obvious medial and dorsal grooves. Secondary annulation of preclitellar segments present; segment 1 and 2 fused appearing as one segment, 4-9, 10 ringleted with 2 or 3 ringlets, annulated or not. Setae minute, eight per segment in four pairs.

Description.

Pigmented or not; alive violetish-grey or grey; preserved whitish grey. Body length not exceeding 350 mm, and 2-15 mm wide at tubercula pubertatis. Average number of segments 100-550. Setae minute; on preclitellar segments visible on various segments or easily visible on papillae, on post clitellar segments in regular rows. Female pores paired, in 14. Clitellum saddle-shaped. Tubercula pubertatis variable in shape and location. Papillae present, located variably. Spermathecal pores located in or behind testis segments. Vasa deferentia paired in holandric, one pair in metandric species. Genital glands various in size and position. Spermathecal ampullae with variably shaped ducts.

Distribution.

All species presently accredited to Kazimierzus are known from a limited area in the western and south-western Atlantic coast of South Africa. The distribution of these species is poorly known as the most known species have only been collected from their type localities, some species represented only by a holotype. The species are known from variable biotopes: wet, muddy soil, or very dry soil; collected between hard rocks in mountain areas characterized by winter-fall and associated with topography of western escarpment and neighbouring Namaqualand, boardering the Atlantic seaboard. Species occurrence may be expected to continue from the Northern Cape Province to the neighbouring Namibia. The distribution pattern observed in Kazimierzus may be influenced by the soil, vegetation (Succulent Karoo Biome) or habitat transformation although this has never been tested.

Remarks.

There is currently one genus, Kazimierzus , in this family comprising the following species:

Kazimierzus alipentus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus circulatus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus crousi (Pickford, 1975);

Kazimierzus davidi (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus franciscus (Pickford, 1975);

Kazimierzus guntheri (Pickford, 1975);

Kazimierzus hamerae (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus imitatus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus ljungstroemi (Pickford, 1975);

Kazimierzus metandrus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus obscurus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus occidualis (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus occiduus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus pauli (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus pearsonianus (Pickford, 1975);

Kazimierzus pentus (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus peringueyi (Michaelsen, 1913);

Kazimierzus rosai (Michaelsen, 1908);

Kazimierzus senarius (Plisko, 1998);

Kazimierzus sirgeli (Plisko, 1996);

Kazimierzus sophieae (Plisko, 2002).