Family: Leptosomatidae

Rev. 01/15/2025

Classification:

Class:  Enoplea

Sub-class:  Enoplia

Order:  Enoplida

Suborder:   Ironina

Superfamily:  Ironoidea

Family: Leptosomatidae Filipjev, 1916

Type genus of the family: Leptosomatum Bastian, 1865

A family of free-living marine nematodes. Generally among the larger free-living marine nematodes; occurring in macrobenthic assemblages.

Anatomy and Morphology:

• Body length reaching up to 50 mm (Tchesunov, 2006)
• Cuticle usually thick
• Two circles of anterior sensilla
• Females didelphic-amphidelphic with reflexed ovaries
• Males dirochic, testes opposed

Six subfamilies recognized:

• Barbonematinae Platonova, 1976
• Platycominae Platonova, 1976
• Leptosomatinae Filipjev, 1916
• Synonchinae Platonova, 1970
• Thoracostomatinae De Coninck, 1965
• Cylicolaiminae Platonova, 1970

Ref Smol et al, 2014

References:

Andrassy, I. 2007. Free-living Nematodes of Hungary II.  Hungarian Natural History Museum. 496pp.

Bongers, T.  1983. Revision of the genus Leptosomatum Bastian, 1865. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.  96:807-855.

Filipjev, L.N. 1916. Free living nematodes in the collection of the Zoological Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Petrograd.. Ezheg. Zool. Muz. Petrograd

Goodey, T and J.B. Goodey, 1963. Soil and Freshwater Nematodes. Methuen. London

Maggenti, A.R. 1981.  General Nematology. Springer Verlag, New York.

Platonova, T.A. and Galtsova, V.V. 1976. Nematodes and their Role in the Meiobenthos. Studies on Marine Fauna Vol XV(XXIII) Academy of Sciences USSR, Nauka, Leningrad,  Translated 1985, Smithsonian Institute.

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

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