Family: Andrassyidae

Rev. 12/28/2023

Classification:

Class:  Enoplea

Sub-class:  Enoplia

Order:  Enoplida

Suborder:  

Superfamily

Family: Andrassyidae Tchesunov & Gagarin, 1999

Type genus of the family: Andrassya Brzeski, 1960

A family of free-living marine nematodes.

Phylogenetic position within the Order Enoplida is uncertain.

Anatomy and Morphology:

• Body elongate, spindle-shaped.
• Cuticle thin, finely cross-striated, without lateral differentiation.
• Six short outer labial setae visible. Somatic setae occasionally present.
• Pocket-like amphids.
• Stoma very small and slightly differentiated or not developed.
• Slender muscular pharynx with posterior widening.
• Secretory-excretory pore at level of posterior pharynx or cardia.
• Rectal glands present
• Females didelphic, amphidelphic, ovaries outstretched and long.
• Males diorchic. Spicules relatively short and straight; gubernaculum elongate, parallel to spicules; precloacal supplements occasionally present.
• Tail thin, elongate conical, terminally acute; caudal glands absent.

Ref Smol et al, 2014

In the opinion of Tcheunov and Gagarin (1999), and apparntly with concurrence of Smol et al (2014), the family Andrassyidae does not ? fit well into any of the existing orders of nematodes. On that basis, they placed the family in the order Enoplida based on the amphidial shape, arrangement of anterior sensilla (close to those in several enoplid families) and some habitual similarity with non-marine oxystominids.

References:

Smol, N., Muthumbi, A., Sharma, J. 2014. Order Enoplida, 7.3. In Schmidt-Rhaesa, A. (ed) Handbook of Zoology. De Gruyter, Berlin

Tchesunov, A.V. and Gagarin, V.G. 1999. Descriptions of Andrassya tundrovi Gagarin, 1993 and Malakhovia chernobyli gen. n., sp. n. (Nematoda: Andrassyidae fam. n.). Nematology 1:141-148.

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