(Hrabe, 1931b)
Description
Small worms. Body usually armoured with fine transversal annuli incrusted with dark secretion and foreign particles. Both anterior and posterior dorsal bundles consist of 1-2 very finely hispid hair chaetae, 280-448 µm long, and 1-2 pectinate chaetae, 35-52 µm long, with 2-8 intermediate teeth. Ventral chaetae by 1-4, 35-90 µm long, in preclitellar segments with upper tooth twice as long as lower one, but with equal teeth in postclitellar segments. Single modified genital chaetae in glandular sacs at spermathecal and male pores, in IX and XI. They are usually shorter than neighbouring ordinary chaetae, 42-70 µm long, with somewhat broader, furrowed distal portion, and sharp-tipped. Sometimes penial chaetae in XI can be similar to ordinary chaetae. Length 10-15 mm, segment number 50-68.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Europe, Israel, eastern North America.
Ecology
In freshwater, mostly in springs and brooks.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Hrabe, 1931b: 24, Fig. 4a-f; Hrabe, 1942: 23, Figs 1-10; Hrabe, 1981: 87-88, Pl. 16 Figs 5-11; Brinkhurst, 1966: 737, Fig. 6a-e; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 514-515, Figs 8.17H-S, 8.18A-F; Holmquist, 1978: Fig. 4A; Holmquist, 1979: Figs 18, 19B; Kasprzak, 1981: 161, Figs 558-564; Milligan, 1986: 408-415, Figs 12, Tables 1-4.