Rev. 06/18/26
Phylum Nematoda Diesing, 1861
Sub-class:
Enoplia
Pearse, 1942
Order: Enoplida Filipjev, 1929
Ironina Siddiqi, 1983
Inhabit marine environments (intertidal, shallow water and deep sea sediments) and brackish water.
Feed as carnivores (predators) or on diatoms and algae.
Metanemes, filamentous stretch receptors, present in the epidermal chords, thought to co-ordinate movement. Many taxa in this group exhibit whip-like movements of the body when anchored at the spinneret.
Cephalic capsule absent
Anterior sensilla 6+10 (2 circles)
Amphid fovea: pocket-like, not spiral
Buccal cavity narrow, elongated with movable teeth, or toothless
Pharynx cylindrical, extending anteriorly as a collar around buccal cavity. Pharyngeal glands do not open through teeth
Excretory system with excretory duct usually anterior to nerve ring.
Females usually didelphic, amphidelphic, or mondelphic-opisthodelphic
Males diorchic or monorchic, supplements setiform.
Caudal glands present, position variable
Andrássy, I. 2007. Free-living Nematodes of Hungary, Vol. II. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest.
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