Terrestrial Earthworms (Oligochaeta: Opisthopora) of China summarizes the results of the classification of terrestrial earthworms in China and provides detailed and authoritative information. The content is classified according to the classification system of Sims and Easton. Each earthworm is described in detail from existing data sources and includes descriptions of external morphological characteristics, internal morphological characteristics, body color and distribution. This book is a useful resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of systematics, phylogeny, biodiversity, soil invertebrate zoology and ecology. Covers over 370 species of earthworms Describes the source of each kind of earthworm, their main classification features, and distribution Discusses the differences between similar earthworms Includes accompanying figures on the typical characteristics of each earthworm

Bristle worms, or oligochaetes, are a large and diverse group of invertebrates. Most oligochaetes living in this region live in fresh or brackish water: no fewer than 136 species in total. They play an important ecological role thereby giving much information about the condition of the ecosystem. This important, bulky book is the first reference work on the freshwater and brackish water polychaetes in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. It offers a wealth of ecological and taxonomic background information. Includes a new user determination key. The key is based on characteristics that are relatively easy to distinguish, without specialized equipment. • a comprehensive overview on morphology, collecting and preservation, identification and ecology • 136 species including the oligochaete fauna of Germany • a new, practical key for the identification based on characteristics that are relatively easy to distinguish • many photographs and schematic drawings • backgroundinformation on ecology and distribution An unique tool for aquatic ecologists and water quality management.

After some conversations with Professor Dr. H. Caspers and other participants at the triennial congress of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (S. I. L. ) held in Copenhagen, Denmark (1977), the senior editor approached the international delegates at the business meeting for approval of the concept of holding the First International Symposium on Aquatic Oligochaete Biology at Sidney (near Victoria) British Columbia on May 1-4, 1979. The S. I. L. agreed to sponsor such a meeting, and this sponsorship in turn led to the provision of space and technical facilities at the Institute of Ocean Sciences Patricia Bay, the Pacific Regional headquarters of the Ocean and Aquatic Sciences component of the federal Fisheri~s and Oceans Department. The National Research Council of Canada provided travel support for a number of non-Canadian participants. Invitations were sent to as many active workers in the field as the senior editor could name, and in addition two representatives of closely allied fields were invited - Dr. V. Standen who works with closely related but terrestrial species, and Dr. J. Grassle who works with polychaetes but especially with Capitella capitata which is much like an oligochaete in some aspects of its biolog- so much so that the senior editor in his salad days succumbed to some ill-founded advice and described Capitella as a new marine tubificid! The addition of these "outside" influences prevented the group from making a number of unfounded assumptions during discussions, and provided valuable cross-linkages.