The unimodal distribution of Africa's Annelida follows fundamental knowledge gaps in their diversity

Understanding patterns in the distribution of biodiversity is an essential aspect of conservation. Yet for many taxonomic groups in Africa, macroecological patterns of species distribution remain poorly understood, combined with significant gaps in fundamental biodiversity data. The aim of the study was to determine the continental diversity and distribution patterns of Annelida in Africa. I extracted geo-referenced occurrence records of Annelida from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and used these records to model their latitudinal diversity gradient. I also estimated the ‘true’ richness of Annelida on the African continent. My findings show that Annelida does not follow the classic latitudinal diversity gradient. Results were similar even when individual Annelida classes were analysed separately. Since these results were also concomitant with insufficient knowledge of their true diversity, it is still unresolved whether the observed latitudinal gradient is a genuine macroecological pattern or a function of sampling bias.