Sphaerolaimus

Sphaerolaimus	Contents	Rev: 08/04/2025
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Sphaerolaimus Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Sphaerolaimidae Menu	Feeding	References
	Go to Nemaplex Main Menu	Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea
Chromadoria
Monhysterida: Monhysterina
Sphaerolaimoidea
Sphaerolaimidae: Sphaerolaiminae
Sphaerolaimus Bastian, 1865

Synonyms:

Morphology and Anatomy:

Large buccal cavity surrounded by solid, heavily sclerotized buccal capsule
Esophagus strongly cuticularized
Cuticle with faint subcephalic setae
Six small labial papillae, cervical setae in eight groups.
Somatic setae shorter and scattered.
Amphids situated posteriortoe buccal cavity.
Esophagus widens posteriorly, but withouitdistinct bulb.
Tail conical, with a slight terminal dilation.

Ref: Annapurna et al., 2012; Rossli et al., 2013; Huang and Guo, 2022

Sphaerolaimus macrocirculus (adapted from Rossliee t al., 2013)

Female: A: head, D: entire body, F:tail.

Male: B: head, C: entire body, E:tail, G: cloacal region

Females:

Monodelphic, prodelphic

Males:

Monorchic
Spicule proximally dilated, distally slender
Gubernaculum present

Body size range for the species of this genus in the database - Click:

Distribution:

Often found in muddy intertidal zones. Reported from intertidal muddy sand off coast of England.sublitteral sedimensts, Scotland and at depths of 250-1000m off northeast coast of India.

Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Sphaerolaimus

Life Cycle:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

References:

Andrassy, I. 2009. Free-living Nematodes of Hungary III. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. 608p.

Annapurna, C., Vijaya Bhanu, C., Srinivasa Rao, M., Sivalakshmi, M.V., Lilly M. .Cooper, G., Rao, Y.K. 2012. Free-living nematodes along the continental slope off northeast coast of India. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India, 54:52-60.

Platt, H. M. and R. M. Warwick. 1988. Free-living marine nematodes. Part II: British Chromadorids. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) NO. 38, Brill, E.J., Leiden, 501pp

Huang, Y., Guo, Y. 2022. Order Monhysterida Filipjev, 1929. In: Free-living Marine Nematodes from the East China Sea. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3836-7_{_}9

Rossli, N.M., Long, S.M., Chen, C-A. 2013. A New Record From East Malaysia: Sphaerolaimus macrocirculus (Nematoda) Borneo J. Resour. Sci. Tech.2(2):12-18

Sphaerolaimus

Contents

Classification:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

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Distribution:

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Feeding:

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: August 04, 2025.

Sphaerolaimus

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris. Revised: August 04, 2025.

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: August 04, 2025.