Family Alaimidae

Revised 08/30/21

Classification:

Enoplea
Enoplia
Enoplida
Alaimina
Alaimoidea
Alaimidae Thorne 1934


Amphidelidae (L=1.3 mm); Domes Gardens, UC Davis. Photos by Anna Ruth Crittenden		Amphidelidae; esophageal region and amphid apertures

Alaimidae:

A family of free-living soil-inhabiting nematodes.

Length ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 mm.
Somatic setae absent.
Labial region rounded, not offset from body contour.
Labial papillae minute.
Amphids postlabial, 2 to 5 body widths behind lip region; apertures small.
Stoma minute, inconspicuous.
Nematodes often very slender and internal structures difficult to discern.
Esophagus slightly enlarged posteriorly.
Female generally monovarial and opisthodelphic.
Males monorchic, spicules generally straight.
Gubernaculum rarely present.

Etymology: from alaimus - without a mouth - refers to the very inconspicuous oral aperture.

Key to the genera of Alaimidae:

		Cuticle with conspicuous longitudinal ridges; spicules swollen in proximal region	Cosalaimus Siddiqi, 1993
		Cuticle without longitudinal ridges; spicules not swollen in proximal region	Alaimus de Man, 1880

Key modified from Andrássy, 2009, Free-living nematodes of Hungary. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest

References:

Andrássy, 2009, Free-living nematodes of Hungary. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest

Choudhary M., Jairajpuri M.S. (2010) Evolutionary trends in soil-inhabiting alaimid nematodes. In: Sharma V.P. (eds) Nature at Work: Ongoing Saga of Evolution. Springer, New Delhi

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