Spenceriella gigantea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Annelida |
Class: | Clitellata |
Order: | Haplotaxida |
Suborder: | Lumbricina |
Family: | Megascolecidae |
Genus: | Spenceriella |
Species: | S. gigantea |
Binomial name | |
Spenceriella gigantea (Benham, 1906) |
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Synonyms | |
Diporochaeta gigantea |
Spenceriella gigantea, or the North Auckland worm, is a rare giant annelid of the family Megascolecidae, endemic to New Zealand.
The North Auckland worm is New Zealand's largest, reaching 1.4 m long, and 11 mm in diameter. Its burrows are up to 20 mm in diameter, and reach a depth of 3.5 m.[1]
The type locality is on Little Barrier Island on a plateau 200 metres above sea level in forest subsoil.[1] Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System it is classed a "Data Deficient".