Family Comesomatidae

Revised 10/03/24

Chromadorina

Comesomatoidea

Comesomatidae Filipjev, 1918

A family of free-living marine nematodes.

Marine nematodes from bottom sediments in deep ocean, shallow coastal areas and tidal flats.
Cephalic region with 6 lips and a 6+6+4 sensilla arrangement; llabial sensilla are papilliform, the cephalic sensilla setiforme and in either one or two rings, the posterior cephalic setae usually longest.
Buccal cavity ranging from small and undifferentiated to dilated and sclerotized with conical posterior and well developed teeth
Transversely punctated cuticle in most species
Multispiral amphids, at least 2.5 turns
Somatic setae along body length in 4 row.
Male spicules with apophyses; gubernaculum usually present
Tubular precloacal supplements in most species
Female genitalia didelphic, amphidelphic, ovaries outstretched.
Marginal tubes present within the esophagus.
Non‐sclerotized and enlarged tail tip.

Ref: Jensen, 1979; Barnes et al., 2012

Jensen (1978) divided the Comesomatidae into three subfamilies Sabatieriinae, Dorylaimopsinae and Comesomatinae on the basis of the the buccal cavity, structure of the copulatory apparatus, and the arrangement of the cephalic sensilla.

References:

Barnes, N., Kim, H.G., Le, W. 2012. New species of free-living marine Sabatieriinae (Nematoda: Monhysterida: Comesomatidae) from around South Korea. Zootaxa 3368:263-290.

Jensen, P., 1978. A review of the Comesomatidae (Free-living marine nematodes). Ann. Soc.R. Zool. Belg. 108: 25-27.

Jensen, P. 1979. Revision of Comesomatidae. Zoologica Scripta https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1979.tb00621.x

Muthumbi, A.W., Soetaert, K., Vincx, M. 1997. Deep-sea nematodes from the Indian Ocean: new and known species of the family Comesomatida. Hydrobilogia 346:25-57.

Riera, R., Nunez, J., Brito, M.C. 2012. Five new records of comesomatids (Nematoda, Chromadorida) from the Canary Islands.Rev. Acad. Canar. Cienc 24:39-50.

Sharma, J., Sun, L. Hope, W.D., Ferris, V. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships of marine nematode family Comesomatidae. Journal of Nematology, 38:229-232.

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