Kosel, 1980
Description
Smooth pink worms, without hair and pectinate chaetae. Locomotory chaetae both in dorsal and ventral bundles mostly similar, 75-88 µm long, with upper tooth 2-3 times as long as lower one; their number decreases caudad only slightly, from 3-7 to 2-6. In XI, dorsal chaetae can be enlarged, revealing particularly long and wide upper tooth. Posterior ventral chaetae can be either similar to anterior ones, or sometimes different, with more or less equal teeth. Two kinds of modified genital chaetae present. Spermathecal chaetae in X, one (rarely 2) per bundle, 90-100 µm long, with narrow spoon-like but sharp-tipped distal portion. Penial chaetae in XI, 2-4 per bundle, also 90-100 µm long, almost straight, blunt-tipped or bifid with thicker and strongly curved upper tooth. Abundant large coelomocytes in body cavity. Length 11-13 mm, segment number 36-47. The species is easily recognizable by its peculiar chaetae.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Europe.
Ecology
In freshwater, in mountain and cave streams, rare.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Kosel, 1980: 609-612, Figs 1-11; Giani and Lafont, 1981: 207-209, Fig. 1.