Spiridion phreaticola

(Juget, 1987)

Description
Small smooth, pink worms. Locomotory chaetae by (1)2-5 in both anterior and posterior bundles, with shorter and thinner upper tooth, 42-57 µm long. Penial chaetae with simple hooked tip and extremely distal nodulus, straight but not thicker than locomotory chaetae, 50-60 µm long, 4-11 per bundle. Eversible pseudopenes can often protrude from male pores in XI. Length 3-4 mm, segment number up to 50. Differing externally from the other small species with similar locomotory chaetae, in the simple-pointed but not thickened penial chaetae.
Burrowing in sediment.

Distribution
France.

Ecology
In freshwater, preferring hyporheic habitat, rare.

Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.

Literature
Juget, 1987: 111-114, Figs 5-6; Erséus et al., 1992: 79-81, Fig. 1.

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