Africanthion		Contents		Rev: 06/10/2026
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Africanthion 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

Enoplolaiminae

Africanthion  Inglis, 1964

Type species of the genus: Africanthion nudum Inglis, 1964

    Synonyms:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

The genus Africanthion is characterized by:

• Mandibles with lateral processes (claws) very well developed and mandibular walls fairly narrow; mandibular plate thin; teeth slightly unequal: dorsal smaller than ventrosublateral; teeth lying far posterior to mandibles.
• Cephalic setae arising from the middle of cephalic capsule.
• Male spicules short and stout;
• Gubernaculum small and complex
• Precloacal supplement replaced by a file of stout, short setae.
• 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 Africanthion

Predator species 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:

Inglis, W.G. 1964. The marine Enoplida (Nematoda): a comparative study of the head.  Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Zool. 11: 263-376.

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

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: June 10, 2026.