Lamarck, 1816
Type species Lumbricus tubifex Müller, 1774
Number of species about 15-20. In NWE, six species:
Tubifex blanchardi Vejdovsky, 1891
Tubifex ignotus (Stolc, 1886)
Tubifex nerthus Michaelsen, 1908
Tubifex newaensis (Michaelsen, 1902)
Tubifex smirnowi Lastockin, 1927
Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774)
Description
Small to large smooth, usually pink worms. Dorsal hair and pectinate chaetae present in many but not in all species. Ventral and sometimes also dorsal chaetae as bifid crotchets. No modified genital chaetae. The genus can be defined only on the basis of the anatomy of reproductive system, without any common external characters. A lot of different species have been included to this genus in different time; many of them are later transferred to other genera, and vice versa (see Holmquist, 1985).
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan but most species Holarctic.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Lamarck, 1816: 224; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 450-451; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 339-340; Hrabe, 1981: 83; Kasprzak, 1981: 170; Holmquist, 1985: 311-366.