Ehrenberg, 1831
Description
Small worms. Prostomium roundish, only slightly broader than the subsequent segments. Ventral ciliated field not extending to dorsal side. Sensory pits lateral at 0/1, roundish, almost in contact with ciliated field. Cutaneous glands red, somewhat denser on prostomium and I, scarce on ventral side. Hair chaetae only, 1-5(6) per bundle, with thicker and stiffer, bayonet-shaped proximal portion, in two lengths: long ones 50-75 µm, short ones 25-50 µm; shorter in ventral than in dorsal bundles. Short chaetae look almost sigmoid but with fine sharp tip. Length of a chain of up to 5 zooids, up to 2.2 mm, length of the first zooid 0.8-1.2 mm, width about 0.075 mm, segment number of the first zooid 7 or 8. Differing from Aeolosoma hemprichi in narrow prostomium and more curved chaetae. The third common red-coloured species, Aeolosoma litorale, displays considerably larger segment number, coloured glands on dorsal side only, and prostomium fused with I.
Gliding on substratum.
Distribution
Almost cosmopolitan.
Ecology
In freshwater.
Reproduction
Asexual reproduction by paratomy (budding) prevailing. Maturing seldom.
Literature
Ehrenberg, 1831; Vejdovsky, 1884b: 20; Bunke, 1967: 200-205, 311-317, Figs 4, 69; Van der Land, 1971: 674-675, Figs 13.1H, 13.2F,H; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 179-180, Fig. 70B; Kasprzak, 1981: 73, Figs 86-89.