Question

Which of the following earthworm is commonly found in India?
A. Lumbricus
B. Pheretima
C. Drawida
D. Megascolex

Answer 1

The earthworms of the genus Pheretima are found in many different habitats like plains, hills, plateau, and in different soil types.

Complete answer: The earthworms of genus Pheretima are most commonly found in regions of Southeast Asia.
1. They are hermaphrodite and are mostly nocturnal.
2. They keep their body surface wet, which helps them in respiration.
They are known as farmer’s friends because they make soil porous which helps in irrigation.
Their body is long, elongated, and cylindrical.
3. On the dorsal surface is the present median line of the dorsal blood vessel, whereas the ventral surface has genital openings and papillae.

4. Size is 150mm in length and 3-5 mm in width. The color of the body is dark-brown due to the presence of pigment porphyrin. The dorsal surface of the body is darker as compared to the ventral surface.
5. The body has about 100-120 small ring-like segments called metameres.
They possess true segmentation, which means the whole body is divided into many rings.
6. The Interior of the body is also divided into inter-segmental septa.
The segment present at the anterior-most end is known as prostomium.
7. The mouth is present at the anterior end in a segment called peristomium.
The clitellum is present in the 14th to 16th segment.
8. The female genital pore is present in the 14th segment and the male genital pore in the 18th segment.
They have a closed type circulatory system. The body wall is thin, soft, shiny, and elastic and is made up of cuticle and epidermis.

_So, the correct answer is “Option B.__Pheretima _. ”.

Note: Pheretima is also found in regions of New Guinea.
In some regions of the world, Pheretima is consumed as a medicine.
Lumbricus is mainly present in regions of Europe.