Bretscher, 1901
Type species Rhyacodrilus falciformis Bretscher, 1901
Number of species 37. In NWE, seven species:
Rhyacodrilus ardierae Lafont and Juget, 1993
Rhyacodrilus amphigenus Juget, 1987
Rhyacodrilus balmensis Juget, 1959
Rhyacodrilus carsticus Kosel, 1980
Rhyacodrilus coccineus (Vejdovsky, 1876a)
Rhyacodrilus falciformis Bretscher, 1901
Rhyacodrilus subterraneus Hrabe, 1963
Description
Small to medium-sized, mostly smooth, pink tubificids. Arrangement of ordinary (locomotory) chaetae variable. Penial chaetae blunt-tipped, or with reduced upper tooth, in XI; tips of penial chaetae in bundles always close to each other. Large coelomocytes present in body cavity. In the anatomy of reproductive system, roundish or pyriform atria, covered with layer of prostatic cells, are characteristic of Rhyacodrilus. Spermathecal pores on anterior edges of X; in contrary to the related genus Pararhyacodrilus, spermathecae not connected with oesophagus.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Almost cosmopolitan.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Sexual only in most species (architomy possible at least in one species). Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Bretscher, 1901: 205; Benham, 1903: 209; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 544-545; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 288-290; Hrabe, 1981: 62; Kasprzak, 1981: 142.