Brinkhurst, 1963
Description
Medium-sized to large smooth red worms. All chaetae as bifid crotchets. Anterior chaetae 4-10 per bundle, with upper tooth slightly thinner and longer. Penial sheaths 20-48 times (exceptionally less) as long as their proximal width, considerably longer than body diameter, double-walled, with thicker external layer lacking near distal end. Distal "head" of penial sheaths with two triangular processes. Dark chloragogen tissue on oesophagus beginning from V. Length 30-80 mm, segment number 55-160. Differing from Limnodrilus claparedeanus in its thick-walled penial sheaths and from Limnodrilus maumeensis in thinner wall at very distal end of the sheath.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Eastern North America, evidently introduced into Europe.
Ecology
In freshwater, mainly in polluted rivers and canals.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Brinkhurst, 1963: 36, Fig. 20; Brinkhurst and Jamieson, 1971: 471, Fig. 8.3S-T; Haaren, 2002: 43, Fig. 3.