An annotated checklist and bibliography of 197 species (representing 78 genera and 26 families) of non-marine polychaetes of the world is presented, including synonymies, information on ecology, distribution, habitat, and references to the taxonomic and biological literature. Over half (57%) of the checklist species are represented by just three families as follows: Nereididae (61 species including
Namanereis,
Namalycastis,
Neanthes and
Hediste), Aeolosomatidae (27 species, mostly
Aeolosoma) and Sabellidae (24 species including
Caobangia and
Manayunkia). Other well-represented taxa are the epizoic histriobdellid
Stratiodrilus (11 species), the inland-sea-specialist ampharetid
Hypania and related genera (5 species), and the freshwater-tolerant spionid
Marenzelleria (5 species). One new combination is proposed for the nereidid
Nereis tenuipalpa Pflugfelder, 1933, viz.
Paraleonnates tenuipalpa n. comb.