Erséus, 1992
Type species Phallodrilus aquaedulcis Hrabe, 1960
Number of species 8. In fresh waters of NWE, two species:
Gianius aquaedulcis (Hrabe, 1960)
Gianius riparius (Giani and Martinez-Ansemil, 1981)
Description
Small smooth, pink tubificids. Locomotory chaetae all bifid crotchets with upper tooth thinner and generally shorter than lower one. Penial chaetae mostly present, straight, bifid or simple-pointed, several per bundle. No coelomocytes. Most generic characters are related to the anatomy of reproductive system.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Northern Hemisphere.
Ecology
In marine and fresh (particularly subterranean) water.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Erséus, 1992: 24.