An adult earthworm has a distinct, swollen, slightly light-colored band on its body. We call it
a clitellum
(pronounced “klei-TE-lem”, plural: clitella.) The two regions on either side of the clitellum are not the same length. The tip of the shorter region is the animal's anterior.
What are the rings on earthworms called?
Clitellum
. The glandular ring or saddle found on mature earthworms. After mating, the clitellum secretes a cocoon of eggs.
What is the swollen band around the earthworm called?
The clitellum
is a thickened glandular and non-segmented section of the body wall near the head in earthworms and leeches, that secretes a viscid sac in which eggs are stored. It is located near the anterior end of the body, between the fourteenth and seventeenth segments.
What is the large external band on an earthworm called and what is its function?
what is the swollen band around the worm and what is its purpose? what is the “lip” called and what is its function? it's called
the prostomium and it's used to dig through soil.
What is the swollen external structure of an earthworm?
Adult (sexually mature) earthworms have a distinct swelling called
a clitellum
. It is located about one-third of the way down the earthworm. The clitellum is often white or orange in colour. It produces most of the material secreted to form earthworm cocoons.
How many hearts does a worm have?
Heartbeats: Worms don't have just one heart. They have
FIVE
! But their hearts and circulatory system aren't as complicated as ours — maybe because their blood doesn't have to go to so many body parts. Moving around: Worms have two kinds of muscles beneath their skin.
Do worms have genders?
Earthworms are
hermaphrodites
, meaning an individual worm has both male and female reproductive organs.
Can a worm live if cut in half?
If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms.
The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail
if the animal is cut behind the clitellum. But the original tail of the worm will not be able to grow a new head (or the rest of its vital organs), and will instead die.
What is the largest worm?
The longest earthworm is
Microchaetus rappi
of South Africa. In 1967 a giant specimen measuring 6.7 m (21 ft) in length when naturally extended and 20 mm (0.8 in) in diameter was found on a road between Alice and King William's Town.
What is the lifespan of an earthworm?
Researchers have found that some species have the potential to live 4-8 years under protected growing conditions meaning no predators and under ideal conditions. While individuals of Lumbricus terrestris can live for
6 years
under ideal conditions, their lifetime is much shorter in the natural world.
What is that thing on a worm?
The clitellum is a thick, saddle-like ring found in the epidermis (skin) of the worm, usually with a light-colored pigment. … To form a cocoon for its eggs, the clitellum secretes a viscous fluid. This organ is used in sexual reproduction of some annelids, such as leeches.
What is the main function of prostomium in earthworm?
The prostomium is a lobe that serves
as a covering for the mouth and as a wedge to force open cracks in the soil into which the earthworm may crawl 1
.
What is the purpose of prostomium?
Earthworms use the prostomium
to see their environment
, as earthworms have no eyes, ears, nose or hands. They depend on the prostomium and skin to help it feel their way through the soil. As the earthworm tunnels through the soil, it excretes mucus from its body.
What are the external features of earthworm?
Shape: Earthworm is
elongated, long, narrow, cylindrical or vermiform shaped
. The anterior end is tapering while the posterior end is more or less blunt. Body surface: Body consists of dorsal and ventral surfaces. Size: A mature worm measures about 150 mm in length and 3-5 mm in width.
Why is the dorsal side of the earthworm darker?
The eartworm places its dorsal side up in the summer,
when the dirt is brown
. In winter, it flips its lighter ventral side up to blend in with the snow. D) The setae are lighter than the earthworm's skin and, therefore, make the ventral side look lighter. The dorsal side does not have setae.
What are the features of earthworm?
Earthworms are
soft-bodied, segmented worms
, usually pink, brown or red in color and only a few inches long. They burrow deep in the ground during the day and resurface at night to feed.
