Sloot | Waterplant | Levend Voer | Noordzee | Worm

Chaetogaster limnaei

The Chaetogaster limneaei is a small freshwater
worm that has a transparent body, and lives as a
commensal in the house of watersnails like the
Greater pond snail.
Here it is protected against predators, and is
also transported by the snail. Probably the snail is
protected against parasites by the Chaetogaster limnaei.
The worm plays an role in ricefields in Africa, were the
snails gives shelter to the worm in the dry season and the worm protects against trematode infections.

reproduction of chaetogaster

At the end of the summer the worm leaves the snailhouse.
It feeds on algae and rotifers as a free living worm.
Chaetogastor reproduce by forming buds, and then divides
in two worms, a larger and a smaller. But it can also
reproduces sexually.

commensale ectosymbiose

Living together for the benefit of both is called
commensale ectosymbiose. Chaetogaster protects against
other worms and the snail protects against predators
and environmental threats. The greater pond snail
(Lymnaea stagnalis) transports chaetogaster limnaei
to other ponds, as it is capable to live outside the
water for shorter periods.

Naididae

The family of the Naididae or Tubificidae are
clitellate oligochaete worms living in fresh water
All clitellate worms are hermafrodetic. They live
a hidden live mostly as bottom dwellers.
Some members are well known like the
tubificids, with a live in the mud.
Some live on waterplants. Reproduction is
mostly done asexualy by paratomy, that
starts by the forming of budds and end
by the splitting of the body in two
worms, a large and a small one.
On this website you can find ;
sludge worm or Tubifex tubifex.
chaetogaster limnaei