Ceramonematidae Cobb, 1933

A family of free-living marine nematodes.

Nematodes of the Ceramonematidae have striking complex cuticular features.  Earlier descriptionss were often based on single speci, so the variability within species is poorly known.

In a classification outlined in Tchesunov and Miljutina (2002), the family Ceramonematidae is divided into two subfamilies on the basis of the combined characters of the outer labial and posterior cephalic sensilla.  The Ceramonematinae Cobb in Cobb, 1933 have setose outer labial and cephalic sensilla and the Pselionematinae De Coninck, 1965 have papillose outer labial sensilla and setose posterior cephalic sensilla (Holovachov et al., 2008).

Genera Features of Ceramonematidae:

Cuticle with broad, thick annules and cuticular plates so that observation of internal structures is difficult.

Generally cylindrical short and thread-like.

Some species with up to 700 narrow cuticular annules along the body length, others with n0 to 100.

Features:

• Cuticle annulated, complex ornamentation.

• Cephalic capsule present, three lips.

• Outer labial sensilla papilliform or setiform; cephalic sensilla setiform, in one or separate circles

• Amphid ventrally spiral, inverted.

• Stoma undifferentiated.

• Female didelphic, ovaries reflexed.

• Male diorchic testes outstretched, supplements absent .

• Caudal glands present, spinneret present; caudal setae in males..

From Holovachov and Bostrom (2004)

References

Holovachov, O. and Bostrom, S. 2004. Morphology and systematics of the superfamily Leptolaimoidea Orley, 1880 and Camacolaimoidea Micoletzky, 1924 (Nematoda: Plectida). J. Nem. Morphology and Systematics 7:1-49.

Holovachov, O., Tandigen de Ley, I., Mundo-Ocampo, M., Baldwin, J.G., Rocha-Olivares, A., De Ley, P. 2008. Nematodes from the Gulf of California. Part 1. The genera Ceramonema Cobb, 1920, Pselionema Cobb in Cobb, 1933 and Pterygonema Gerlach, 1954 (Nematoda: Ceramonematidae). Nematology 10:347-373.

Lorenzen, S. 1981. Entwurf eines phylogenetischen Systems der freilebenden Nematoden.(Outline of a phylogenetic system for the free-living nematodes).Veroffentlichungen des Instituts fur Meeresforschung in Bremerhaven 1981 No.Suppl. 7 pp.472 pp. 

Tchesunov, A.V. and Miljutina, M.A. 2002. A review of the family Ceramonematidae (marine free-living nematodes), with descriptions of nine species from the White Sea. Zoosyst. Rossica 11:3-39.

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