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

 Classification:

Chromadorea

  Chromadoria

   Microlaimida

Microlaimina

             Microlaimoidea

   Aponchiidae

    Aponchium Cobb, 1920

Type species of the genus: Aponchium cylindricolle Cobb, 1920

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Buccal cavity with dorsal tooth and two subventral teeth almost equal size.

Males:

• Monorchic
• Spicules elongate
• A series of midventral preanal supplementary papillae
•  Gubernaculum with dorso-caudal apophyses.

Females:

• Monodelphic, prodelphic, ovary outstretched; postvulvar sack (spermatheca) present.

Ref: Tchesunov, 2013

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Distribution:

Free-living marine nematodes.

Aponchium species reported to live epizoically on the shells of epibenthic invertebrates in shallow waters with submerged vegetation, presumeably feed on attached algae

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Aponchium

Presumably on algae attached to shells of invertebrates

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

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For more information about nematodes, Go to Nemaplex Main Menu.

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