Healy, 1975
Description
Small white worms. Chaetae by 2-9, most numerous in ventral bundles, sigmoid, simple-pointed, with ectal nodulus, lacking in XII. Male pores in XII; clitellum in XII-1/2 XIII, with glands arranged in transversal rows. Interior characters: Pharyngeal glands in two pairs; dorsal lobes at 4/5 and 5/6 connected with each other, ventral lobes in V and VI. Coelomocytes very narrow, spindle-shaped with sharp ends, heavily granular. Chloragogen tissue covering oesophagus beginning from VI. No appendages on digestive tube. Blood either light red or colourless; dorsal blood vessel reaching backward up to XIII. Spermathecae not connected with oesophagus, relatively short, either reaching VI or folded in V only, with ectal pores in 4/5. Spermathecal ampullae tubular, containing irregular sperm; spermathecal ducts longer than ampullae, inflated in their ectal end, without any glands at ectal pore. Male funnels cylindrical but with narrower collar. Vas deferens short, with dilatation in ectal end. Crown of high glandular cells surrounding male pore. 1-2 eggs in clitellar region. Length 1.5-4 mm, segment number 20-22. Can be distinguished from congeners only on the basis of internal anatomy.
Burrowing in sediment.
Distribution
Europe.
Ecology
In freshwater wetlands.
Reproduction
Sexual, with eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Healy, 1975: 318, Fig. 2; Kasprzak, 1986: 108-109, Figs 225, 246-251.