Troglochaetus beranecki Delachaux (Polychaeta, Archiannelida) in esker groundwaters of Finland : a new class of limnic animals for northern Europe

The presence of Troglochaetus beranecki is reported in the phreatic groundwater of eskers in southern Finland within the area covered by glaciers during the last glacial epoch. The hitherto known distribution of this species includes central and southern Europe and parts of northern America, but it has not previously been found in northern Europe, where groundwater invertebrates have generally been assumed to be lacking. The limit of distribution of this species is now moved 1500 km to the north-east.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]