The presence of exotic earthworms has recently become a major concern and drawn significant attention to their potential effects on ecosystems and native invertebrate fauna. Although the occurrence of invasive annelids has been well recorded, their settlement in Iran is poorly documented. To investigate the biodiversity of aquatic Oligochaeta and to assess the presence of possible exotic species, DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was conducted in two major protected rivers (Jajroud, Karaj) of the southern Alborz Mountains. As a result, new lineages of Tubifex, Haplotaxis and Lumbriculus were identified from Iran. Moreover, a semiaquatic lumbricid species, Eiseniella tetraedra, was unexpectedly found to be the most abundant species. The analyses showed the presence of six divergent lineages of E. tetraedra occurring in individual rivers. The presence of identical haplotypes shared between European, North American, Australian and Iranian localities, the sympatric accumulation of several distinct intraspecific lineages in the same rivers and the lack of a phylogeographic pattern reinforce the hypothesis of a possible inadvertent anthropogenic introduction. The relative abundance of lineages indicates a significant decline in the abundance of native oligochaetes, which may be linked to the preponderance of recently introduced European populations of E. tetraedra, probably mediated through human activities.

中文翻译：

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分子证据表明，从阿尔伯兹山脉南部受保护的淡水生态系统中引入了来自欧洲的四角艾森氏菌群 (Savigny, 1826) (Annelida, Lumbricidae)

外来蚯蚓的存在最近成为一个主要问题，并引起了人们对它们对生态系统和本地无脊椎动物群的潜在影响的极大关注。尽管侵入性环节动物的出现已被很好地记录下来，但它们在伊朗的定居记录却很少。为了研究水生寡毛纲的生物多样性并评估可能的外来物种的存在，使用线粒体细胞色素 c 氧化酶亚基 1 (COI) 基因的 DNA 条形码在 Alborz 山脉南部的两条主要受保护河流（Jajroud、Karaj）中进行。结果，从伊朗确定了新的 Tubifex、Haplotaxis 和 Lumbriculus 谱系。此外，出人意料地发现一种半水生 lumbricid 物种 Eiseniella tetraedra 是最丰富的物种。分析表明存在六个不同的大肠杆菌谱系。四面体发生在个别河流中。欧洲、北美、澳大利亚和伊朗地区共享的相同单倍型的存在、同一河流中几个不同种内谱系的同域积累以及系统地理学模式的缺乏加强了可能无意中人为引入的假设。谱系的相对丰度表明本地寡毛纲的丰度显着下降，这可能与最近引入的欧洲 E. tetraedra 种群的优势有关，这可能是通过人类活动介导的。在同一条河流中几个不同的种内谱系的同域积累和系统地理学模式的缺乏加强了可能无意中人为引入的假设。谱系的相对丰度表明本地寡毛纲的丰度显着下降，这可能与最近引入的欧洲 E. tetraedra 种群的优势有关，这可能是通过人类活动介导的。在同一条河流中几个不同的种内谱系的同域积累和系统地理学模式的缺乏加强了可能无意中人为引入的假设。谱系的相对丰度表明本地寡毛纲的丰度显着下降，这可能与最近引入的欧洲 E. tetraedra 种群的优势有关，这可能是通过人类活动介导的。