Family Cosmocercidae

                                 Revised 01/30/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

  Class Chromadorea

    Subclass Chromadoria

Order Rhabditida

                   Suborder Spirurina

        Superfamily Cosmocercoidea

Cosmocercidae (Railliet, 1916) Travassos, 1925

Parasites of amphibians, reptiles and fish.  Two genera are parasites of terrestrial molluscs: snails and slugs.

• Oviparous or viviparous

• Female didelphc

• Esophageal isthmus elongated, not spherical

• Male without pre-anal sucker

Subfamilies:

• Cosmocercinae:Railliet, 1916

  • Genital structure not modified from typical nematode

  • Vulva posterior to esophagus

  • Eggs without filaments

  • Parasites of amphibians, rarely reptiles

• Maxvachonlinae Chabaud & Brygoo, 1960

  • Vulva in region of esophagus

  • Female tail very long, 25% of body length

  • Eggs with filaments

  • Parasites of reptiles, some  amphibians

• Gyrinicolinae (family Gyrinicolidae resurrected?)

  • One uterus transformed into a sac conataining males

  • Parasites of amphibian tadpoles

• Australoplectaninae Baker, 1981

  • A subfamily erected to accommodate Austrapleectana (a redescription of Raillietnema kartanum)

    Go To Dictionary of Terminology 

References

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