''Eophasma'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of fossil

nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...

s from the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

Osteno Claino con Osteno ( Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about north of Como. It is a small ''comune'' on Lake Lugano, composed of a series of sm ...

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It has only one species, ''Eophasma jurasicum''. In 2011, the genus was placed in the new family Eophasmidae Poinar, 2011, which is itself placed in the order

Desmoscolecida Desmoscolecida is an order of marine nematodes. In a worm of this order, the body tapers towards each end and is marked by a number of well-defined ridges. Their number varies in the different species. The head bears four movable setae, and some ...

, superfamily Desmoscolecoidea.

References

†Eophasma Prehistoric protostome genera Jurassic invertebrates Fossils of Italy {{nematode-stub