Enchytraeid

The effect of fertilizers on the diversity of enchytraeids has not been studied but occurrence of high abundance of enchytraeids after organic manure application has been noted.

Enchytraeids probably consume and further process larger fecal pellets and castings of soil macrofauna, such as collembolans and earthworms (Zachariae, 1984; Rusek, 1985).

The exclusion of enchytraeids from many treatises and aquatic oligochaetes keys cannot be justified as approximately one third of the total enchytraeid species (Martin et al. 2008) inhabit aquatic habitats.