Prochaetosoma		Contents		Rev: 04/17/2026
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Prochaetosoma Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Draconematidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea

  Chromadoria

   Desmodorida

Desmodorina

             Deamodoroidea

                Draconematidae

     Prochaetosominae

Prochaetosoma  Micoletzky, 1922

     Type species of the genus: Prochaetosoma primitiva (Steiner, 1916)  Micoletzky, 1922

    Synonyms:

Chaetosoma primitivum Steiner, 1916

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Body length 400-600 um, body stout
• Head capsule present
• Body cuticle with spines
• Cephalic adhesion tubes typical, posterior to helmet
• Posterior adhesion tubes typical of family
• Amphid spiral
• Buccal cavity with dorsal tooth and 2 subventral teeth
• Pharynx cylindrical with well-developed end bulb with lumen wall strongly thickened.

Ref: Rho et al., 2011

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Distribution:

Free-living marine nematodes

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Prochaetosoma

Probably epistrate feeders with scraping tooth in stoma  (Heip et al., 1998; Tchesunov, 2015).

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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:

Allen M.W., Noffsinger E.M. 1978. A revision of the marine nematodes of the superfamily Draconematoidea Filipjev, 1918 (Nematoda: Draconematina). Univ Calif Publs Zool 109: 1-133

Heip, C., Vincx, M., Vranken, G. 1985. The ecology of marine nematodes. Oceanography and marine biology. Ann Rev Lond 23:399-489

Micoletzky, H. 1922. Die freilebenden Erd-Nematoden mit besonderer Berecksichtigung der Steiermark und der Bukowina, zugleich mit einer Revision semtlicher nicht mariner, freilebender Nematoden in Form von Genus-Beschreibungen und Bestimmungsschlesseln [1921]. Arch. Naturg. Berl. 87, Abt. A (8-9): 1-650.

Rho, H.S., Decraemer, W., Sorensen, M.V., Min, W.G., Jung, J. and Kim, W. 2011. Megadraconema cornutum, a new genus and species from
Korea, with a discussion of its classification and relationships within the family Draconematidae (Nematoda, Desmodorida) based on morphological
and molecular characters. Zoological Sci., 28:68-84.

Tchesunov, A.V. 2015. Free-living nematode species (Nematoda) in hydrothermal sites of the North Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Helgoland Marine Research 69:343-384.

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: April 17, 2026.