Eisenia nordenskioldi chinensis, Qin & Zhao & Zhang & Han & Shekhovtsov & Wu & Aspe, 2025

Qin, Mingyan, Zhao, Huifeng, Zhang, Yufeng, Han, Anne Charis N., Shekhovtsov, Sergei V., Wu, Donghui & Aspe, Nonillon M., 2025, Description of three new subspecies of Eisenia nordenskioldi (Annelida: Crassiclitellata) from Northeastern China, Zootaxa 5642 (3), pp. 225-244 : 232-233

Eisenia nordenskioldi chinensis ssp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype: 1 clitellate ( 374R1_02 ), municipal park (43.8570°N, 125.3058°E, 235.0 m elev.), Nanhu Park , Changchun City, Jinlin Province, 2022-07-06, coll. Yufeng Zhang.

Paratypes: 8 clitellates ( 374R1_07 , 08, 09, 374R3_14 , 16, 19, 29, 374R4_01 ), same data as of holotypes; 1 clitellate ( 418N_05 ), Shihe Town (46.0619°N, 127.5649°E, 132.0 m elev.), Mulan County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, 2021-08-05, coll. Yufeng Zhang.

Etymology. The subspecies is named after the country of China.

Diagnosis. unpigmented dorsally and ventrally in alcohol. Body size small with length 30–50 mm, diameter 3.9–5.1 mm, segments 92–127. Prostomium open epilobic. Dorsal pores from 4/5. Spermathecal pores paired in 9/10/11 close to mid-D. Female pores in xiv and male pores in xv. Clitellum within ½ xxvi, xxvi, xxvii–xxxii, xxxiii, Tubercula pubertatis within ½xxviii, xxviii, xxix–xxxi, ½xxxii. Genital markings are random. Spermathecae has two pairs within ix–xi, the shape is spherical near the midline of the dorsal. Crop occupies two segments in xv–xvi, gizzard in xvii–xviii.

Description: Unpigmented dorsally and ventrally in alcohol. Length 30–50 mm (n = 10). Diameter 3.9–5.1 mm. Segments 92–127. Prostomium open epilobic. Dorsal pores from 4/5. Setae closely paired. Setal ratio on segment viii in adult specimens: aa: 1.20–1.76; ab: 0.20–0.26; bc: 0.83–1.37; cd: 0.14–0.27; dd: 3.75–4.47; U (circumference): 8.60–10.11; mean: aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 1.48: 0.22: 1.13: 0.21: 4.18; U: 8.95. Setal ratio on segment xxviii in adult specimens: aa: 2.05–2.67; ab: 0.26–0.37; bc: 1.02–1.57; cd: 0.15–0.23; dd: 3.74–5.99; U (circumference): 10.14– 14.04; mean: aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 2.33: 0.32: 1.32: 0.20: 4.25; U: 12.32. Setal ratio on segment xli in adult specimens: aa: 1.72–2.52; ab: 0.20–0.31; bc: 1.27–1.68; cd: 0.18–0.24; dd: 3.39–4.04; U (circumference): 9.36–12.56; mean: aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 2.00: 0.26: 1.47: 0.22: 3.68; U: 10.74. Nephropores alternate irregularly between setae b and above d. Spermathecal pores paired in 9/10/11 close to mid-D. Distance between spermathecal pores 0.039 (average of ten samples). Female pores in xiv lateral of b. Distance between female pores 0.188 (average of ten samples). Male pores in xv lateral of b just wider than female pores. Distance between male pores 0.246 (average of ten samples). Genital markings on the ventral side: One specimen has a pair in segment xii, with one genital marking on the left and right sides of segments xi and xii.Another specimen has a pair in segment viii and a pair in segment xii, with left genital markings in segments x to xii and a single right genital marking in segments ix to xii. A third specimen has a pair in segment viii and a pair in segment xii, with segments xi and xiii each having one. The left genital markings are found in segments x to xiii, while the right genital marking is in segments x to xii. A fourth specimen shows a pair in segment viii, with segment xii having one genital marking. The lateral genital markings are present on the left and right sides of segments x to xii. A fifth specimen has a pair in segment xii, with lateral genital markings on the left and right sides of segments x to xii. Clitellum saddle-shaped; in ½ xxvi–xxxii (n= 1), xxvi–xxxii (n= 1), xxvi–xxxiii (n= 2) or xxvii–xxxiii (n= 6). Tubercula pubertatis in xxviii–xxxi (n= 1), ½ xxviii–½ xxxii (n= 2), in xxix–½ xxxii (n= 2) or xxix–xxxi (n= 5).

Internally, nephridial bladders simple, sausage-shaped (in all segments inspected). Septa 7/8 strongly strengthened, 9/10/11 thickened. Spermathecae round, white; spermathecal duct short, thin in ix and x. Testis and funnels in x and xi seemingly free. Hearts in vii–xi. Calciferous glands in xi and xii. Seminal vesicles four pairs in ix–xii (biggest in xii). Extraoesophageal vessels, the testis sacs and epididymis are also absent. Ovaries compact in xiii. Crop large in xv–xvi and muscular gizzard in xvii–xviii. Spermathecae has two pairs, 1 pair each in 9/10 and 10/11, near the midline of the dorsal. Typhlosole is inverted T-shaped from about xxvii.

Remarks. Eisenia nordenskioldi chinensis ssp. nov. is more morphologically similar to E. n. jilinensis ( Table 5 ). The difference between the two subspecies are the ratio of their setal distance (as mentioned in the Remarks section of E. n. jilinensis) and their pigmentation pattern wherein the dorso-anterior side of E. n. jilinensis to segment xv is pinkish and gradually turns pale to the rest of the body while both the entire dorsal and ventral sides of E. n. chinensis have pale pigmentation.