Neotrileptium gracilis		Contents		Rev: 08/24/2026
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Neotrileptium Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Thoracostomopsidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Enoplea

  Enoplia
        Enoplida

            Enoplina

                Enoploidea

                   Thoracostomopsidae

                    Trileptiinae

Neotrileptium gracilis Zograf, Efimova & Mordukhovich, 2025

Type species of the genus.

    Synonyms:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Large body size (>9000 um).
• Cuticula slightly striated. Head with sclerotized cephalic capsule, marked off from cervical region by cephalic ring
• Males with a circle of cervical setae, absent in female
• Three lips with two inner labial setae on each. Outer labial setae and cephalic setae situated at the level of cephalic ring.
• Amphid pocket-shaped just posterior to the cephalic ring.
• Buccal cavity long with three short, narrow mandibles and three associated teeth, dorsal one  the smallest.
•  Pharynx cylindrical. Cardia slightly insert into the intestine.
• Tail clavate, relatively short

	Females: Didelphic-amphidelphic with ovaries opposed, reflexed, on left of intestine. Vulva transverse slit at about 65% of body lengthy. Ref Zograf et al., 2025
Neotrileptium gracilis A: Male anterior; B: Female full body; C: Male cephalic region; D: Male full body;  E: Male posterior; F: Female cephalic region Scale bars: A= 200 um, B,D = 500 um, C = 25 um, E = 100 um, F= 50 um Drawings from Zograf et al., 2025
Males:   Tubular precloacal supplement present, Diorchic, testes opposed, to the left of intestine. Spicules long (>1.5 cbd) Gubernaculum rod-shaped, without apophysis.
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

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Distribution:

Species described from sediments with coarse sand and gravel at 30 m depth in the Listvenichnaya Bay on the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia .

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Feeding:

Predsator on marine organisms, including nematodes.

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

Zograf, J.K., Efimova, K.V., Mordukhovich, V.V. 2025. Integrative descriptions of two new Thoracostomopsidae species (Nematoda, Enoplida) with the brief discussion on nematode spicules origin. Zoologischer Anzeiger 319: 50-69.

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