Eisen, 1881
Type species Eclipidrilus frigidus Eisen, 1881
Number of species 7. In NWE, one species:
Eclipidrilus lacustris (Verrill in Smith and Verrill, 1871 )
Description
Medium-sized to large worms. Prostomium with or without proboscis. Chaetae two per bundle, sigmoid with nodulus, simple-pointed. Male pore(s) in X, spermathecal pore(s) in IX. Atria paired or single, elongate with spiral muscles. Differs from the other European genus with unpaired genital pores, Tatriella, in the position of the spermatheca in IX, presence of spiral muscle fibers in the atrial wall, and in a more complicated system of blood vessels.
Burrowing in sediment. At least some species able to swim.
Distribution
Nearctic, East Asia, West Europe.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Eisen, 1881: 2; Smith, 1896: 402; Cook, 1968: 282; Cook, 1971a: 247-249; Kasprzak, 1981: 192; Brinkhurst, 1998: 644.