Tripylella intermedia		Contents		Rev: 04/24/2023
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Tripylella Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Tripylidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Enoplea

  Enoplia

        Enoplida

            Tripylina

                 Tripyloidea

                    Tripylidae

Tripylella intermedia (Butschli, 1873) Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993

    Synonyms:

  Type species of the genus; originally described as a species of Tripyla by  Butschli, 1873  

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Morphology and Anatomy:

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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:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

Brzeski, M.W. & Winiszewska-Slipinska, G. 1993. Taxonomy of Tripylidae (Nematoda, Enoplia). Nematologica, 39: 12-52.

Bütschli, O. 1873. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der freilebenden Nematoden. Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum, 36: 1-144.

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: April 24, 2023.