Preliminary report on the Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) of West Florida

A wide range of habitats, both terrestrial and marine littoral, were sampled in an area between Pensacola and Tallahassee. Enchytraeids were present in all moist or wet soils and in marine habitats enriched by organic matter but were absent or rare in very dry soils, saturated or flooded substrates and clean intertidal sand. Between 70 and 75 species were distinguished of which 50–55 are new to North America and about 25 are probably new to science. The genera represented are the same as those occurring in Western Europe but their relative importance differs and there are some tropical elements. The number of species occurring in terrestrial sites was greater than recorded in similar surveys in southwestern France and Ireland (approximately the same-sized area, number of sites and size of sample), but the number of species per sample was lower than in either of the other countries. It is concluded that species distribution in western Florida is very patchy. Possible reasons for this patchiness are discussed.