From DriloBASE Taxo
General data | Thematic references | Distribution references |
Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) |
Taxonomy | ||||
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Family: Lumbricidae Genus: Eisenia | ||||
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Short description |
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External characteristics Length: 50-120mm. Diameter: 2-4mm. 80-120 segments. Pigmentation: violet-red and striped with antero-posterior and dorso-ventral gradient. Clitellum dark red-orange. Body shape: cylindrical. Setae disposition: closely paired. Prostomium type: epilobous. Dorsal pores: small, the first in (3/4) 4/5. Mucus: coloured with a foul odor. Nephridial pores: alternate between setal lines ab and cd. Male pore: punctiforme in 1/2 15, in ab. Female pore: well developed, punctiforme in 1/2 14, in ab. Spermathecal pores: open in 9/10-10/11, in cd. Clitellum: saddle-shaped in (25) 26-32 (33). Tubercula pubertatis: distinct bands on (27) 28-30 (31). |
Internal characteristics First septum in 4/5. Moniliforme hearts in 7-11. Nephridia tubular. Excretory system holonephridial, nephridial bladders tubular shaped. Calciferous glands in 10-13 (14) without diverticula with bulging in 12. Crop in 15-16. Gizzard in 17-18. Typhlosole beginning gradually around 21. Seminal vesicles in 9, 10, 11, 12 and smaller in 9, 10 than in 11, 12. Spermathecae simple, intra-coelomic, in 9 and 10. Small ovisacs present. |
Possible confusion Species often confused with Eisenia andrei. |
Biology-Ecology | ||||||||
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E. fetida is a species only found in temperate and boreal countries. In nature, this epigeic species lives near the soil surface, within the decomposing organic matter or in dead woods, and sometimes in caves (as reported by Turbanov et al. in 2016 in Georgia and Russia). Due to its high affinity with composting material, it has become the main species used in vermiculture. It is also a central species as model in toxicological studies and scientific research on earthworm molecular biology. |
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General data | Thematic references | Distribution references |