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

Enoplea

  Enoplia
        Enoplida

            Enoplina

                Enoploidea

                    Thoracostomopsidae

Enoplolaiminae

Fleuronema Greenslade & Nicholas, 1991

Type species of the genus: Fleuronema dorca Greenslade & Nicholas, 1991

    Synonyms:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

The genus Fleuronema is characterized by:

• Cuticle thick and smooth.
• Head blunt, apically rounded, bulbous; distinct external groove at base of head capsule.
• Lips low and finely striated
• Mandibles solid, anterior bar with central claw ande two lateral claws, each with an apical lateral projection; ventrosublateral teeth large, blunt and slanting, extending to the cephalic arch, dorsal tooth absent.
• Inner labial setae short and stout, outer labial and cephalic setae long and slightly clavate, with surface ornamented by meshwork.
• Pharynx long and cylindrical; cardia pyriform; nerve ring about one-third of pharynx length
• Female monodelphic, ovary on left of intestine. .
• Spicules heavy and encircled by a distinct ridge.
• Gubernaculum and precloacal supplement present.
• Three caudal glands with cells precaudal; tail conical with rounded tip.
• Marine nematodes.

ref: Smol et al., 2014

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Distribution:

Free-living predatory marine nematodes.

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Fleuronema

Predatory on marine organisms.

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Predators; regulation of opportunistic species.

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Management:

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References:

Greenslade, P., Nicholas, W.L. 1991. Some Thoracostomopsidae (Nematoda: Enoplida) from Australia, including descriptions of two new genera and diagnostic keys. Invert. Tax. 4: 1031-1052.

Smol, N., Muthumbi, A., Sharma, J. 2014. Order Enoplida, 7.3. In Schmidt-Rhaesa, A. (ed) Handbook of Zoology. De Gruyter, Berlin

Revised by Howard Ferris.
Revised: August 24, 2026.