Spiroxys chelodinae

Spiroxys chelodinae	Contents	Rev 11/16/2023
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Spiroxys Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Gnathostomatidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Classification:

Chromadorea
Chromadoria
Rhabditida: Spirurina
Gnathostomatomorpa
Gnathostomatidae

Spiroxys chelodinae Berry, 1985

Synonyms:

Morphology and Anatomy:

Body slender, tapering sharply to anterior.and posterior.
Cuticular striations fine, becoming coarser posteriorly.
Anteriorwith pair of prominent, trilobed, lateral pseudolabia which have thick cuticular supports lining inner surface and forming collar around oral aperture.
Cuticular support of middle lobe projecting anteriorly to form blunt projection or prominent "tooth"
Each pseudolabium with two, large, submedian, double papillae and small, papilla-like lateral amphid.
Esophagus elongate, club-shaped with short anterior, muscular region gradually enlarging into posterior, long, glandular region.
Nerve ring at around 30% of esophagus length, excretory pore slightly posterior to nerve ring.
Cervical papillae prominent, conical, slightly posterior to nerve ring.
Three small valves between esophagus and intestine.
One dorsal and two ventral rectal glands and numerous other smaller glands.
Tail short, tapering sharply to blunt tip.


Spiroxys chelodinae 1. Anterior, dorsal view; 2: anterior, face view illustrations from Berry (1985)	Spiroxys chelodinae Male tail, ventral view with latero-ventral swellings (=alae) illustrations from Berry (1985)
Male: Caudal region with well developed latero-ventrally swellings that meet ventrally, anteriors to cloaca; (referred to as alae by some authors). Ventral caudal muscles well developed, attached to precloacal pseudo-sucker. Ten pairs of caudal papillae, six postcloacal and four precloacal. Spicules slightly longer than alate region of tail Gubernaculum often obscure; consisting of two curved tubes Monorchic, testis long, tortuous, joining seminal vesicle about half-way along body.	Female: Vulva a transverse slit slightly posterior to middle of body, without prominent lips or cuticular prominences. Vagina directed anteriorly, thick-walled and annulated. Didelphic, amphidelphic, short, thin-walled, uterus leading into two thin-walled uterine branches, one directed posteriorly and one anteriorly. Oviducts and ovaries very long and tightly coiled. Phasmids dorso-lateral, papilla-like, mid-way between anus and tip of tail Ref: Berry, 1985
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

Distribution:

Described from Australia as a parasite of the stomach and duodenum of freshwater side-neck turtles of the genus Chelodina (family Chelidae).. Also reported from New Guinea (Berry, 1985).

Feeding:

Parasitic in the stomach and duodenum of freshwater side-neck turtles of the family Chelidae.

Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

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

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Baylis HA, Lane C. 1920. A Revision of the Nematode Family Gnathostomidae. Proc Zool Soc Lond 1920: 245-310.

Berry, G.N. 1985. . A new species of the genus Spiroxys (Nematoda; Spiruroidea) from Australian chelonians of the genus Chelodina (Chelidae). Systematic Parasitology 7:59-68.