Vejdovsky, 1884a
Type genus Chaetogaster Baer, 1827. Erected by Vejdovsky, 1884a as a family for Chaetogaster and Amphichaeta, and again by Lastockin, 1921 as a monotypic subfamily for Chaetogaster. Redescribed by Sperber, 1948. Treated as a tribe including also Paranais and Homochaeta, by Nemec and Brinkhurst, 1987.
Number of species about 40. In fresh waters of NWE, four genera with 13 species:
Amphichaeta leydigi Tauber, 1879
Amphichaeta sannio Kallstenius, 1892
Chaetogaster cristallinus Vejdovsky, 1884a
Chaetogaster diaphanus (Gruithuisen, 1828)
Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828)
Chaetogaster langi Bretscher, 1896
Chaetogaster limnaei Baer, 1827
Chaetogaster setosus Svetlov, 1925
Homochaeta naidina Bretscher, 1896
Homochaeta setosa (Moszynski, 1933)
Paranais botniensis Sperber, 1948
Paranais frici Hrabe, 1941
Paranais litoralis (Müller, 1784)
Description
A clade of Naidinae, characterized by lack of eyes, proboscis, dorsal hair and needle chaetae. Tendency to cephalization is strongly expressed in the first two genera. In mature individuals, male pores and penial chaetae usually in VI (in Paranais, V).
Distribution
Cosmopolitan.
Ecology
In freshwater. Feeding on unicellular algae and detritus; some species predatory while one subspecies parasitizing in snails.
Reproduction
Mostly asexual, by paratomy (budding). Five (but in Paranais four) anterior segments developing in the budding zone. Maturing and sexual reproduction rare or seasonal.
Literature
Vejdovsky, 1884a: 32-33; Lastockin, 1921: 75; Sperber, 1948: 57, 82; Nemec and Brinkhurst, 1987: 706.