Eisenia (annelid)

Eisenia
Eisenia fetida
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Eisenia
Malm, 1900
Type species
Enterion fetidum
Savigny, 1826
Species

14 species (see text)

Eisenia is a genus of earthworms in the family Lumbricidae.[1][2] They are sometimes known as rosy worms.[1] The genus is named after Swedish-American scientist Gustav Eisen.[1][2] They burrow in soil and sediment in both terrestrial and freshwater environments. They have Palaearctic distribution, with introduced populations elsewhere.[2]

Species

There are 14 recognized species:[1]

  • Eisenia andrei (Bouché, 1972)
  • Eisenia anzac Blakemore, 2011
  • Eisenia balatonica (Pop, 1943)
  • Eisenia fetida (Savigny in Cuvier, 1826)
  • Eisenia grandis Michaelsen, 1907
  • Eisenia hydrophilica Kvavadze, 1979
  • Eisenia japonica (Michaelsen, 1891)
  • Eisenia kucenkoi Michaelsen, 1903
  • Eisenia lucens (Waga, 1857)
  • Eisenia nordenskioldi (Eisen, 1878)
  • Eisenia rhodopensis Černosvitov, 1937
  • Eisenia schelkovnikovi Michaelsen, 1907
  • Eisenia skorikowi Michaelsen, 1903
  • Eisenia spelaea (Rosa, 1901)

There are also many described species with uncertain status.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Eisenia Malm, 1877". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Timm, Tarmo; Veldhuijzen van Zanten, H. H. (2002). "Genus Eisenia". Freshwater Oligochaeta of North-West Europe 1.0. Retrieved 14 December 2025.