Ehrenberg, 1831
Type species Aeolosoma hemprichi Ehrenberg, 1931
Number of species about 30. In NWE, 20 known species:
Aeolosoma beddardi Michaelsen, 1900
Aeolosoma evelinae Marcus, 1944
Aeolosoma flavum Stolc, 1901
Aeolosoma gertae Marcus, 1944
Aeolosoma headleyi Beddard, 1888b
Aeolosoma hemprichi Ehrenberg, 1831
Aeolosoma hyalinum Bunke, 1967
Aeolosoma japonicum Yamaguchi, 1953
Aeolosoma leidyi Cragin, 1887
Aeolosoma litorale Bunke, 1967
Aeolosoma marcusi Van der Land, 1971
Aeolosoma niveum Leydig, 1865
Aeolosoma olivaceum Bunke, 1967
Aeolosoma psammophilum Bunke, 1967
Aeolosoma quaternarium Ehrenberg, 1831
Aeolosoma sawayai Marcus, 1944
Aeolosoma tenebrarum Vejdovsky, 1884b
Aeolosoma travancorense Aiyer, 1926
Aeolosoma variegatum Vejdovsky, 1886
Aeolosoma viride Stephenson, 1911b
Description
Small transparent annelids externally somewhat similar to Oligochaeta. Prostomium large and flat, with ciliated ventral side functioning as locomotory organ. A pair of lateral, ciliated sensory pits on posterior portion of prostomium. Body wall with scattered, usually coloured, cutaneous glands. Chaetal bundles beginning from II, four per segment, consisting either of hair setae only, or of hair chaetae and shorter, sigmoid chaetae both in dorsal and ventral bundles. Instead of clitellum, ventral glandular pad around female pore, in mature individuals. Testes developing both anteriorly and posteriorly of ovaries; no special genital ducts. Spermathecae unicellular, near ventral chaetal bundles in forebody. Differing from Rheomorpha in presence of chaetae, and from Hystricosoma, in their arrangement in one single row in each bundle.
Gliding on substratum.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Asexual reproduction by paratomy (budding) prevailing. Maturing seldom.
Literature
Ehrenberg, 1831; Vejdovsky, 1884b: 17-20; Beddard, 1895: 176-183; Marcus, 1944: 8-15; Bunke, 1967: 190; Van der Land, 1971: 665; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 177-178; Kasprzak, 1981: 70-71.