(Oschmann, 1913)
Description
Medium-sized smooth pink worms. Prostomium short conical, separated by a distinct furrow from I, in alcohol-preserved specimens. Body wall delicate, with deep intersegmental furrows on tail when preserved. In anterior dorsal bundles 1-5 smooth hair chaetae, 210-350 µm long, and 2-5 pectinate chaetae, 80-150 µm long, with short intermediate teeth. Anterior ventral chaetae by 2-4, 70-150 µm long, teeth of equal length. Spermathecal chaetae in X, spearhead-shaped, 140-152 µm long and up to 19 µm wide. Male pores in XI, accompanied with a few ordinary crotchets. Length 15-35 mm, segment number 55-80. Differing from the congeners and from all other tubificids in the characteristic shape of spermathecal chaetae.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Western Palaearctic, North and South America, Australia.
Ecology
In slightly brackish coastal lakes and river mouths, seldom inland.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in oval cocoons with transparent shell and two unequal appendices.
Literature
Oschmann, 1913: 559-565, Figs 1-5; Timm, 1970: 63-64, Figs 10-11; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 492 (partim), Fig. 12H-I; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 323-324, Fig. 157; Hrabe, 1935: 11-12; Hrabe, 1981: 79-80, Pl. 12 Figs 20-21, Pl. 13 Fig. 5; Kasprzak, 1981: 158, Figs 538-544.