Dorylaimidae

Family Dorylaimidae

                                       Rev 06/12/08

Dorylaimidae De Man, 1876

like all members of the Dorylaimida, have a movable mural tooth or hollow spear - odontostyle - which originates from a migrated stomal cell (from the Cheilostome);
spear extensions originate from an esophageal cell (the Esophostome);
have a two-part esophagus which is slender anteriorly and has a posterior swollen glandular and muscular region.

have a smooth cuticle;

species of nematodes in the Dorylaimidae feed on algae, fungi or other nematodes; they are often omnivorous.

Etymology: laimos = greek for throat, dory = spear; thus Dorylaimus = "spear in throat".

Dorylaimus sp., spear protruding.

Photo: Aldo Zullini

Eudorylaimus sp. - juvenile, note replacement spear

Photo: Peter Mullin

De Man, J.G. 1876. Onderzoekingen over vrij in de aarde levende Nematoden. Tijdschrift Ned, Dierk.. Ver. 2:78-196.

Jairajpuri, M.S. and W. Ahmad. 1992. Dorylaimida: free-living, predaceous and plant-parasitic nematodes. Brill, Leiden. 458 p.