Benham, 1892
Description
Long earthworm-like oligochaetes. Anus dorsal. Chaetae two per bundle, slightly sigmoid, simple-pointed, ornamented with 1-2 jagged ridges in their distal portion. Male pores in XIX, on long transparent tubercula pubertatis, inconspicuous. Distinct female pores in XIV. Clitellum saddle-shaped, from XIV...XV to XXV...XXVII. Tubercula pubertatis as long ridges present in most clitellar segments, sometimes proceeding even anteriorly. No modified genital chaetae, but some ventral chaetae in genital region can sit on glandular papillae. Length 60-200 mm, body diameter 1.5-5 mm, segment number 125-260. Sparganophilus tamesis differs from the other European freshwater earthworm-like oligochaetes in the position of male pores in XIX, on tubercula pubertatis.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Eastern North and Central America, England, France.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Benham, 1892: 156; Smith, 1895: 142; Tétry, 1934: 324; Jamieson, 1971: 811-816, Figs 15.13-14; Reynolds, 1977: 113-115, Fig. 40; Reynolds, 1980: 190-192; Sims and Gerard, 1985: 120-121, Fig. 43.