(Verrill, 1873)
Description
Medium-sized smooth pink worms. Hair chaetae by 1-2 in anterior dorsal bundles, thin (often broken), with twisted distal ends. Crotchets by 2-4 in anterior dorsal bundles and by 2-7 in ventral bundles, less in posterior region, with considerably longer and thinner upper tooth; anterior dorsal crotchets often modified as pectinates, with some small intermediate teeth. Either ordinary crotchets, or 1-2 single-pointed penial chaetae, in ventral bundles of XI. Large coelomocytes in body cavity. Length 15-35 mm, segment number 70-90. Most easily distinguishable from all other tubificids by twisted hair chaetae.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Europe, both shores of the Northern Atlantic.
Ecology
In marine and brackish-water littoral; also in freshwater receiving saline wastes.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Verrill, 1873: 624 (partim); Boldt, 1926: 177-180, Figs 1-3; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 559-560, Fig. 8.34A-B; Kasprzak, 1981: 147, Figs 476-477.