(Eisen, 1878)
Description
Medium-sized to large worms, of yellowish colour. Chaetae straight or slightly curved, with thicker distal portion, arranged in symmetrical fan-like bundles with distal ends in line, by 3-8 in dorsal bundles and by 4-8 in ventral bundles, lacking at male pores in XII. Clitellum in XII-1/2 XIII, with gland cells irregularly scattered. Internal characters: Pharyngeal glands in three pairs, on 4/5-6/7, without dorsal communication. Coelomocytes of variable size, oval or nearly discoid, opaque with yellow or brown granules. Two lateral sac-shaped, posteriorly constricted intestinal diverticula in VIII. Large dorsal and ventral, plurilobed oesophageal appendages in IV. Chloragogen cells on oesophagus usually beginning from VII, covering also intestinal appendages. Blood colourless, dorsal blood vessel reaching backwards up to VIII, with pulsating expansions in VII and VIII. Spermathecae in V, sometimes with rather large ampulla, without diverticula, ental ducts communicating with oesophagus separately. Male funnel about twice as long as width, with regular collar. Usually only 1-2 mature eggs present at a time. Length 12-30 mm, segment number 50-62. Differing from Henlea perpusilla in chaetae, and from Henlea ventriculosa and some other congeners, in the number and structure of intestinal pouches, in the location of the blood vessel, etc.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Holarctic.
Ecology
In soil, also in freshwater near the shore.
Reproduction
Sexual, with eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Eisen, 1878: 72; Eisen, 1879a: 20, Pl. VI Fig. 10; Vejdovsky, 1879: 55; Southern, 1907: 70; Friend, 1912b: 587-588; Friend, 1913a: 85; Nielsen and Christensen, 1959: 60-61, Figs 51, 55; Kasprzak, 1986: 260-261, Figs 1001-1004.