ABSTRACT
In view of the synonymy of the terms Clitellata and Oligochaeta sensu lato, containing oligochaetes sensu stricto, acanthobdellids, branchiobdellidans and true leeches (Siddall et al. 2001; Erseus et al. 2002) it is appropriate to adopt the term Clitellata for the combined assemblage and to dispense with the term Oligochaeta as an official name, a procedure also adopted by Erseus and Kallersjo (2003) (but see Chapter 9). Nevertheless, the term 'oligochaete' will here be used as a common noun for Oligochaeta sensu stricto, to avoid the inconvenience of referring to them as non-branchiobdellidan, non-acanthobdellid, non-leech Clitellata. Alternatively they may be referred to as 'oligochaetous clitellates', though excluding the similarly characterized Acanthobdella.
