Chromadorida

Specimen of Neochromadora, from here.

Belongs within: Nematoda.

The Chromadorida are a mostly marine group of free-living nematodes, with a small number of members in fresh water or soil.

Characters (from Decraemer & Smol 2006): Cuticle with transverse striae and punctated ornamentation, showing a pattern of dots, rods or 'basket weave' and, usually, with lateral differentiation. Anterior sensillae arranged in two or three circlets at anterior end of body, i.e. an anterior circlet of inner labial papillae, an outer circlet of external labial sensilla (papilli- or setiform) and a third circlet of cephalic setae, second and third circlet may form a single circlet of ten cephalic sensilla. Amphideal fovea variable, simple spiral, reniform, a transverse loop or slit, or multispiral; when spiral, amphideal fovea usually located posterior to posterior circlet of cephalic setae, but sometimes lying between the four cephalic setae and difficult to observe. Head cuticle not thickened or sclerotised and hence without cephalic helmet. Cheilostom with twelve cheilorhabdia (also referred to as folds or rugae); pharyngostom of variable size, armed with single dorsal tooth and usually two smaller ventrosublateral teeth. Pharynx largely cylindrical, posteriorly usually with muscular bulb with well-cuticularised luminal wall (crescentic valve). Secretory-excretory system with terminal duct cuticularised. Female reproductive system didelphic-amphidelphic with antidromously reflexed ovaries; less commonly monodelphic. Male monorchic or diorchic; spicules paired; gubernaculum present; pre-clacal supplements usually cup-shaped, may also be setose or fine tubular. Caudal glands and spinneret present.

<==Chromadorida [Chromadorina, Chromadoroidea]
    |  i. s.: Metachromadora GD00
    |         Hypodontolaimus inaequalis H02
    |         Wilsonema MM02
    |--Ethmolaimidae LB02
    |--Neotonchidae LB02
    |--Achromadoridae LB02
    |--Cyatholaimidae LB02
    |    |--Nannolaimus fusus Gerlach 1956 L86
    |    |--Paracyatholaimus Micoletzky 1924 E86
    |    |    `--P. botosaneanui Andrassy 1973 E86
    |    `--Pomponema L86
    |         |--P. carinatum Riemann 1976 L86
    |         `--P. multipapillatum (Filipjev 1922) L86
    `--Chromadoridae LB02
         |--Chromadora nudicapitata H02
         |--Chromadorita Filipjev 1922 L86
         |--Innocuonema Inglis 1969 L86
         |--Trichethmolaimus hirsutus (Gerlach 1956) [=Spiliphera hirsutus] L86
         |--Chromadorella vanmeterae Hopper & Wieser 1967 L86
         |--Trochamus Boucher & Bovée 1972 L86
         |    `--T. complexus L86
         `--Neochromadora L86
              |--N. alatocorpa Hopper 1961 L86
              |--N. angelica Riemann 1976 L86
              |--N. munita Lorenzen 1972 L86
              `--N. paramunita Boucher 1976 L86

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Decraemer, W., & N. Smol. 2006. Orders Chromadorida, Desmodorida and Desmoscolecida. In: Eyualem-Abebe, W. Traunspurger & I. Andrássy. Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy pp. 497-573. CABI Publishing.

[E86] Eder, R. 1986. Nematoda from continental subterranean aquatic habitats. In Stygofauna Mundi: A Faunistic, Distributional, and Ecological Synthesis of the World Fauna inhabiting Subterranean Waters (including the Marine Interstitial) (L. Botosaneanu, ed.) pp. 125-132. E. J. Brill / Dr. W. Backhuys: Leiden.

[GD00] Giribet, G., D. L. Distel, M. Polz, W. Sterrer & W. C. Wheeler. 2000. Triploblastic relationships with emphasis on the acoelomates and the position of Gnathostomulida, Cycliophora, Plathelminthes, and Chaetognatha: A combined approach of 18S rDNA sequences and morphology. Systematic Biology 49: 539-562.

[H02] Hope, I. A. 2002. Embryology, developmental biology and the genome. In The Biology of Nematodes (D. L. Lee, ed.) pp. 121-145. Taylor & Francis: Florence (Kentucky).

[LB02] Ley, P. de, & M. Blaxter. 2002. Systematic position and phylogeny. In The Biology of Nematodes (D. L. Lee, ed.) pp. 1-30. Taylor & Francis: Florence (Kentucky).

[L86] Lorenzen, S. 1986. Nematoda: Interstitial nematodes from marine brackish and hypersaline environments. In Stygofauna Mundi: A Faunistic, Distributional, and Ecological Synthesis of the World Fauna inhabiting Subterranean Waters (including the Marine Interstitial) (L. Botosaneanu, ed.) pp. 133-142. E. J. Brill / Dr. W. Backhuys: Leiden.

[MM02] Munn, E. A., & P. D. Munn. 2002. Feeding and digestion. In The Biology of Nematodes (D. L. Lee, ed.) pp. 211-232. Taylor & Francis: Florence (Kentucky).