''Eisenia fetida'', known under various

common names In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contras ...

such as manure worm, redworm, brandling worm, panfish worm, trout worm, tiger worm, red wiggler worm, etc., is a species of

earthworm An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (or subclass, depending on the author) Oligochaeta. In classical systems, they we ...

adapted to decaying organic material. These worms thrive in rotting

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

, and

manure Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nut ...

. They are

epigean Epigeal, epigean, epigeic and epigeous are biological terms describing an organism's activity above the soil surface. In botany, a seed is described as showing epigeal germination when the cotyledons of the germinating seed expand, throw off the ...

, rarely found in soil. In this trait, they resemble ''

Lumbricus rubellus ''Lumbricus rubellus'' is a species of earthworm that is related to ''Lumbricus terrestris''. It is usually reddish brown or reddish violet, iridescent dorsally, and pale yellow ventrally. They are usually about to in length, with around 95– ...

''. The red wiggler is reddish-brown in color, has small rings around its body, and has a yellowish tail. Groups of bristles (called

seta In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae, ...

e) on each segment of the worm move in and out to grip nearby surfaces as it stretches and contracts its muscles to push itself forward or backward. ''E. fetida'' worms are native to Europe, but have been introduced (both intentionally and unintentionally) to every other continent except

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

. ''E. fetida'' also possesses a unique natural defense system in its

coelom The coelom (or celom) is the main body cavity in many animals and is positioned inside the body to surround and contain the digestive tract and other organs. In some animals, it is lined with mesothelium. In other animals, such as molluscs, i ...

ic fluid; cells called coelomocytes secrete a protein called lysenin, which is a

pore-forming toxin Pore-forming proteins (PFTs, also known as pore-forming toxins) are usually produced by bacteria, and include a number of protein exotoxins but may also be produced by other organisms such as apple snails that produce perivitellin-2 or earthw ...

, which is able to permeabilize and lyse invading cells. It is best at targeting foreign cells whose membranes contain significant amounts of

sphingomyelin Sphingomyelin (SPH, ) is a type of sphingolipid found in animal cell membranes, especially in the membranous myelin sheath that surrounds some nerve cell axons. It usually consists of phosphocholine and ceramide, or a phosphoethanolamine hea ...

. (Lysenin is also toxic to organisms lacking sphingomyelin in their cell walls, including ''

Bacillus megaterium ''Priestia megaterium'' (''Bacillus megaterium'' prior to 2020) is a rod-like, Gram staining, Gram-positive, mainly aerobic, endospore, spore forming bacterium found in widely diverse habitats.De Vos, P. ''et al.'' Bergey's Manual of Systematic B ...

'', though the pathway is not understood).

Uses

''E. fetida'' is used for

vermicomposting Vermicompost (vermi-compost) is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually Eisenia foetida, red wigglers, Enchytraeus buchholzi, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable ...

of both domestic and industrial organic waste. Vermicomposting septic systems have been used for decades and allow for decentralized on-site processing of blackwater using ''Eisenia fetida''. Tiger worms are also being tested for use in a flushless toilet, currently being trialled in India, Uganda and Myanmar. Moreover, red worm is widely used in fishing, being one of the most ideal baits for tench, bream, and roach.

Odor

When roughly handled, a redworm exudes a

pungent Pungency ( ) is the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy ( ) is sometimes applied to foods with a lower ...

liquid, thus the specific name ''fetida'' meaning " foul-smelling". This is presumably an

antipredator adaptation Anti-predator adaptations are mechanisms developed through evolution that assist Predation, prey organisms in their constant struggle against predators. Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptations have evolved for every stage of this struggle, na ...

Related species

''E. fetida'' is closely related to '' E. andrei'', also referred to as ''E. f. andrei''. The only simple way of distinguishing the two species is that ''E. fetida'' is sometimes lighter in colour. Molecular analyses have confirmed their identity as separate species, and breeding experiments have shown that they do produce hybrids. The mitochondrial genetic characteristics of the Irish population of ''E. fetida'' could be the result of

reproductive isolation The mechanisms of reproductive isolation are a collection of evolutionary mechanisms, ethology, behaviors and physiology, physiological processes critical for speciation. They prevent members of different species from producing offspring, or ensu ...

, so suggests that this sample may constitute an unrecognized species or subspecies of ''E. fetida''.

Reproduction

As with other

species, ''E. fetida'' is hermaphroditic, and uniparental reproduction is possible, even if usually the reproduction is between copulating individuals. The two worms join clitella, the large, lighter-colored bands which contain the worms' reproductive organs, and which are only prominent during the reproduction process. The two worms exchange

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

. Both worms then secrete cocoons, which contain several eggs each. These cocoons are lemon-shaped and are pale yellow at first, becoming more brownish as the worms inside become mature. These cocoons are clearly visible to the naked eye. At 25°C, '' E. fetida'' hatches from its cocoon in about 3 weeks.

DNA repair

Ionizing radiation Ionizing (ionising) radiation, including Radioactive decay, nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have enough energy per individual photon or particle to ionization, ionize atoms or molecules by detaching ...

induces DNA strand breaks and oxidized DNA bases in both spermatogenic cells and somatic cells of ''E. fetida'', and also induces the

repair The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installat ...

of these damages.

Lifespan

The lifespan of ''E. fetida'' under controlled conditions varies between one and five years.

References

External links

"Identify Tiger Worm"
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1501422 Lumbricidae Animals described in 1826 Coprophagous animals Composting Organic gardening Taxa named by Marie Jules César Savigny