External sense organs in freshwater oligochaetes (Annelida, Clitellata) revealed by scanning electron microscopy

Freshwater oligochaetes have at least two kinds of external sense organs: multiciliate organs of short cilia (also present in earthworms) and sense organs with one to three long cilia (unknown in earthworms and possibly acting as rheoreceptors). Ciliate sense organs of freshwater oligochaetes are distributed over their entire body surface, including the clitellum. They are scattered on the prostomium and pigidium and are arranged into a transversal chaetal row and dispersed or forming a few other discrete transversal rows on chaetal segments. Three species display very prominent sense organs (sensory buds in Protuberodrilus tourenqui and papillae in Ophidonais serpentina and Spirosperma velutinus). The number of cilia per organ at the prostomium of freshwater families appears to be fewer than that of terrestrial ones. It is suggested that the total number of cilia at the prostomium of the freshwater species could be related to their habitat, evolving from an epibenthic to an endobenthic way of life.