Ascolaimus elongatus

Ascolaimus elongatus	Contents	Rev: 08/24/2026
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Ascolaimus Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Axonolaimidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Classification:

Chromadorea
Chromadoria
Araeolaimida: Araeolaimoidea; Axonolaimidae


Ascolaimus elongatus (Butschli, 1874) Filipjev 1919

    Synonyms:

Morphology and Anatomy:

Body length 2.9-4.7 mm, a=90-108.
Cuticle finely striated.
Six small cephalic papillae. Four 18-24 um (1.0-1.6 x h.d.) cephalic setae; 4 rors of 5-7 um cervical setae which extend to the base of the pharynx.
Somatic setae scarce except on ventral region of the tail.
Amphideal fovea a rounded loop, 7-8 um wide.
Buccal cavity conical, 19-23 um long.
Pharynx widens towards posteriorly but without definite bulb.
Tail 3.5-5 a.b.d., cylindrical in the anterior half, with the ducts of the caudal glands typically swollen towards the tip.

Females:

Vulva at 60-63% of body length

Males:

Spicules 50 um (1.4 c.b.d.), with a curved tooth projecting anteriorly from the distal tips.
Gubernaculum with 11-18 um apophysis

Ref: Huang and Guo, 2022

Ascolaimus elongatus (Butschli, 1874) Filipjev, 1919. (a) Male head; (b) pharyngeal region; (c) spicule and gubernaculum.
Drawings from Huang and Guo, 2022 after Warwick et al. 1998.)

Distribution:

Reported from sublittoral muddy sediment in South China Sea (Huang and Guo, 2022).

Biology and Ecology:

Probablyfeeding on microbes in epistrate.

Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click	If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

Ecosystem Functions and Services :

References:

Huang, Y. and Guo, Y. 2022. Free-living Marine Nematodes from the East China Sea. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3836-7_5

Warwick, R.M., H.M. Platt, and P.J. Somerfield. 1998. Free-living marine nematodes Part III. Monhysterids, Synopses of the British fauna (new series). Vol. 53. Field Studies Council: Shrewsbury. VII, 296 pp.