(Levinsen, 1884)
Description
Medium-sized to large, intensely red worms. Chaetae in fan-like bundles, sigmoid without nodulus, by 5-12, most numerous in ventral bundles. Ventral chaetae lacking at male pores in XII. Clitellum covering 1/2 XI-1/2 XIII. Clitellar glands irregularly scattered. Internal characters: Pharyngeal glands in three pairs, IV-VI, both dorsal and ventral lobes present; the first two pairs merge dorsally, while those of the last pair are either free or with a narrow connection. Coelomocytes oval or pear-shaped, with many small granules. Chloragogen tissue on oesophagus present from VI. No appendages on digestive tube. Blood red, dorsal blood vessel reaches backward to XIV-XV. Spermathecae in V, connected with oesophagus, spindle-shaped, thick-walled, with uniform lumen; 15-20 high, partially fused, glands at ectal end of spermathecae. Numerous lobes of sperm vesicles full of spermatozoa, attached to body wall at 10/11 and extending bush-like into cavity of IX-XI. Male funnels cylindrical, about 10 times as long as width, folded, collar being 2-3 times as wide and strongly lobed. Vasa deferentia slightly longer than funnels, loosely coiled in XII. Penial bulbs large. Usually 20-30 mature eggs present at a time. Length 20-35 mm, segment number 50-60. Differing from congeners, besides very long male funnel, and other internal characters, in a relatively large number of chaetae per bundle.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Europe, Greenland.
Ecology
In the marine littoral, in polluted freshwater or compost soil.
Reproduction
Sexual, with eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Levinsen, 1884: 231; Michaelsen, 1886: 43; Vejdovsky, 1889: 1-3; Ditlevsen, 1904: 430-431, Fig. 27; Southern, 1909: 151; Bülow, 1957: 82-84, Pl. 30 Fig. 16; Nielsen and Christensen, 1959: 97-98, Figs 107-108; Kasprzak, 1986: 127-129, Figs 342-345.