Eisen, 1879b
Description
Medium-sized worms. Body surface armoured with dense layer of irregularly arranged, dark secretory papillae incrusted with foreign particles. Papillae smaller or lacking on prostomium and I, which can be retracted. Small sensory papillae, 2-3 transversal circlets per segment, hardly visible. Clitellum in XI-XII white, without any papillae. In anterior dorsal bundles up to 7 thick, curved hair chaetae, 150-250 µm long, alternating with 3-5 very fine pectinate chaetae, 50-65 µm long, with parallel teeth. Ventral bundles in anterior segments consist of 2-5 crotchets, 95-185 µm long, with upper tooth longer than lower one. In tail region, both ventral and dorsal chaetae sparser, as thick strongly curved crotchets with particularly large, bent lower tooth. No modified genital chaetae; ventral chaetae lacking in XI, in mature individuals. Length 15-40 mm, segment number up to 55. In freshwater, common. Differing from Embolocephalus velutinus in lack of simple-pointed crotchets and spermathecal chaetae; from Haber turquinae in lack of both spermathecal and penial chaetae, and in the irregular arrangement of secretory papillae; and from Quistadrilus multisetosus in lack of prominent sensory papillae.
Crawling in sediment, sluggish.
Distribution
Holarctic.
Ecology
In freshwater, common, particularly in northern cool water bodies.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in lemon-shaped cocoons with white rugged, brittle shell.
Literature
Eisen, 1879b: 10; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 518-519, Fig. 8.15Q-T; Holmquist, 1978: Figs 2B, 9C, 10C, 11H-I; Holmquist, 1979: 46-47; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 351-353, Fig. 179; Hrabe, 1981: 90-91, Pl. 15 Figs 10-21, Pl. 16 Fig. 1; Kasprzak, 1981: 164, Figs 586-595.