[A new family of Nematodes, parasites of marine invertebrates, the Benthiumermithidae (author's transl)].
Nematodes of a group related to the Mermithoidea and known only from a preliminary note by Hope (1977) have been found either as parasites of invertebrates (only female juveniles) or free-living (mature and juvenile females) in benthic sediments of the Atlantic Ocean, the Norway Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The characters in common in the group are given. Benthimermis hopei, n. g., n. sp., known from one mature and one juvenile females found free in benthic sediments of the Atlantic Ocean is described, as well as 8 juvenile females found free in benthic sediments of the Atlantic Ocean is described, as well as 8 juvenile females (Benthimermis sp., nos 1-8), of which 7 are parasites of invertebrates and one was found free in sediments. A new family is proposed for the group, the Benthimermithidae, characterized by a vestigial oesophagus, reduced to a strand containing granular material, an intestine modified into a trophosome, and a vestigial rectum and anus.
D000818:Animals; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000469:parasitology*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012623:Seawater; D009626:Terminology as Topic
Une nouvelle famille de Nématodes parasites d'Invertbrés marins, les Benthimermithidae.