Tripyla glomerans

Tripyla glomerans	Contents	Rev 08/10/2023
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Tripyla Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Tripylidae Menu	Feeding	References
Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Tripyla glomerans Bastian, 1865

Type species of the genus

Note: A recent classification removes the suborder Tripylina from the order Enoplida and places it, along with suborders Tobrilina and Diphtherophorina, in the order Triplonchida in subclass Dorylaimia
(De Ley et al., 2006; De Ley & Blaxter, 2004).

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Morphology and Anatomy:


	Anterior region of Tripyla glomerans
	Spicules and gubernaculum of male Tripyla glomerans. Note that protractor muscles form a capsule around the spicules which is one of the supporting characters for suggested grouping of Tripylidae in the order Triplonchida. The grouping is supported by molecular data (Zullini, 2006).
photomicrographs by Aldo Zullini
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

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Distribution:

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Feeding:

Nematodes of the family Tripylidae are generalist predators of small aquatic and soil organisms. Many authors have commented on the freshwater and
wet soil in which these nematodes are found, and on the nature of their prey based on observation of intestinal contents or from behavior. Among the recorded prey, as reviewed and collated by Small (1987), are nematodes, rotifers and protozoa (Cid del Prado et al., 2012).

Nematodes in the Tripylidae attach to soil particles or other substrate via adhesive material extruded from the caudal glands through the spinneret. Thus anchored, the body moves quite reapidly in water films, sometimes thrashing vigorously. This behavior has at least three possible purposes: 1. to make tactile contact with prey organisms, 2. to create currents that stir up the sediment and potential prey organisms settled therein, and 3. to anchor the nematode in currents of moving water.

Interestingly similar attachment and feeding behavior occurs in other nematode groups that, based on most characters, appear to be only distantly related. For example, the generalist predators of the Tripylidae are in the Class Enoplea, Subclass Enoplia, Order Enoplida, the specialist predators of other nematodes in the Mononchidae are in the Class Enoplea, Subclass Dorylaimia, Order Mononshida, while the bacterivorous Plectidae are in the Class Chromadorea, Subclass Chromadoria, Order Plectida, according to the phylogeny proposed by De Ley and Blaxter, (2002, 2004).

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click	If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

De Ley, P. & Blaxter, M. (2004). A new system for Nematoda: combining morphological characters with molecular trees, and translating clades into ranks and taxa. Nematology Monographs and Perspectives 2, 633-653.

De Ley, P., Decraemer, W. & Eyualem-Abebe. (2006). Introduction: summary of present knowledge and research addressing the ecology and taxonomy of freshwater nematodes. In Eyualem-Abebe, Andrassy, I. & Traunspurger, W. (Eds). Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy. Wallingford, UK, CABI Publishing, pp. 3-30.

Zullini, A. (2006). Order Triplonchida. In Eyualem-Abebe, Andrassy, I. & Traunspurger, W. (Eds). Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy. Wallingford, UK, CABI Publishing, pp. 293-323