Rhabdodemania		Contents		Rev: 04/28/2024
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Rhabdodemania Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Rhabdodemaniidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Enoplea

   Enoplia
        Triplonchida

            Tobrilina

                Tobriloidea

                    Rhabdodemaniidae

Rhabdodemania Baylis & Daubney, 1926

    Synonyms:

  Conistomella Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1942

  Demania Laurie, 1906

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Morphology and Anatomy:

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Distribution:

Marine nematodes

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Feeding:

Wieser considered the genus Rhabdodemania as predators with large and powerful armature whose prey is swallowed whole or pierced teeth. He considered the onchia of Rhabdodemania as being homologous with the teeth of other enoplid genera, and the three pairs of longer onchia as being homologous with mandibles. The concept that members of Rhabdodemania possess mandibles or jaws, as was proposed by Wieser, has been supported by other researchers and by ultrastructure studies which suggest that muscles move the onchia and other parts of the buccal cavity in a mandibular-like function (Hope, 1988).

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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:

Baylis, H. A.,  Daubney, R. 1926. A synopsis of the families and genera of Nematoda London (British Museum). 1-277

Hope, W.D. 1988. Ultrastructure of the Feeding Apparatus of Rhabdodemania minima Chitwood, 1936 (Enoplida: Rhabdodemaniidae). J. Nematology 20:118-140.

Wieser, W. 1959. Free-living nematodes and other small invertebrates of Puget Sound beaches. University of Washington Publications in Biology 19. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

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Copyright 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: April 28, 2024.