# Almidae

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Family of annelid worms

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Almidae Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Clade: Pleistoannelida Clade: Sedentaria Class: Clitellata Order: Opisthopora Family: Almidae Genera Alma Callidrilus Drilocrius Glyphidrilocrius Glyphidrilus

The animal family **Almidae** includes about six genera of [segmented worms](/source/Oligochaeta).

A notable peculiarity of some species in this family is a tendency to extensions of the body wall in the vicinity of or including the male pores. These extensions may be mere protuberances, as in some species of *Drilocrius*; or involve a greater extent of the body wall, as in genus *Glyphidrilocrius*. They take the form of wing or keel-like structures called alae in *Glyphidrilus* species and paddle-shaped claspers in *[Drilocrius alfari](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drilocrius_alfari&action=edit&redlink=1)*.

The winglike claspers of *Drilocrius alfari*

All species of genus *Alma* have claspers. The male pores are near the tips of these claspers, and they are furnished with genital [chaetae](/source/Chaeta) and sucker-like structures.

Most members of this family have one pair of male pores on segment 15 through 30. Female pores are located on segment 14. *[Glyphidrilus kukenthali](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glyphidrilus_kukenthali&action=edit&redlink=1)* is one of only three ‘earthworm’ species known to have two pairs of female pores, in 13 and 14.

A possibly related family, [Criodrilidae](/source/Criodrilidae), contains genera *Criodrilus* and *Biwadrilus* with male pores in 15 and 13, respectively. [Spermathecae](/source/Spermatheca) are absent (a rare condition in [oligochaetes](/source/Oligochaeta)) and one to several [spermatophores](/source/Spermatophore) containing the sperm are transferred between partners and attached near the genital field.

## References

- [Review of Criodrilidae (Annelida: Oligochaeta) including Biwadrilus from Japan](https://web.archive.org/web/20080227184438/http://opuscula.elte.hu/OF/Review%20of%20Criodrilidae_proof.pdf)

Taxon identifiers Almidae Wikidata: Q4733805 Wikispecies: Almidae BOLD: 127213 CoL: 84JVB EoL: 9110164 GBIF: 4813730 IRMNG: 107660 ITIS: 974265 NCBI: 196281 Open Tree of Life: 999959 Plazi: 2B35773E-1C56-FFD0-029B-BECECC76EA1B WoRMS: 1039993

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Almidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almidae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almidae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.