Dorylaimia is a subclass of nematodes.

Description

In general, members of subclass Dorylaimia exhibit a great diversity of terrestrial and freshwater species, most of which are large predators or omnivorous free-living species. Some are plant parasites, whereas others are animal parasites (

Trichinellida The Trichocephalida (Trichinellida or Trichurida in other classifications) is an order of parasitic nematodes. Taxonomy The order Trichocephalida includes, according to modern classifications, the single suborder Trichinellina Hodda, 2007, which ...

and Mermithida). No members of the Dorylaimia are found in marine habitats. Dorylaimia bear an odontostyle, a protrusible, hollow, needlelike tooth for puncturing and emptying food items.

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

of phylum

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

suggests three distinct basal

clades A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

, the

dorylaims Dorylaimia is a subclass of nematodes. Description In general, members of subclass Dorylaimia exhibit a great diversity of terrestrial and freshwater species, most of which are large predators or omnivorous free-living species. Some are plant ...

enoplids Enoplida is an order of nematodes. It is one of two orders in Enoplia, which is one of two subclasses in Class Enoplea.

, and

chromadorids The Chromadorea are a class of the roundworm phylum, Nematoda. They contain a single subclass (Chromadoria) and several orders. With such a redundant arrangement, the Chromadoria are liable to be divided if the orders are found to form several c ...

. These represent Clades I, II and C+S of Blaxter (1998). Of these, the first two appear to have

sister clade In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

status, allowing resolution into two classes, Enoplea and Chromadorea, and division of the former into two subclasses corresponding to Clades I and II respectively, the Enoplia and Dorylaimia. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that Dorylaimia will eventually be shown to be a distinct third class of nematodes.

Subdivision

has resulted in a reorganization, with, for instance, moving the Triplonchida to subclass Enoplia. Subclass Dorylaimia is divided into the following orders; **Order Dioctophymatida Baylis and Daubney, 1926 **Order

Dorylaimida Dorylaimida (dorylaims) is a diverse order of nematodes with both soil and freshwater species. Taxonomy History The order originated with the description of '' Dorylaimus stagnalis'' by Dujardin in 1845, and in 1876 De MAn proposed the fam ...

Pearse, 1942 **Order Isolaimida Cobb, 1920 **Order Marimermithida Rubtzov, 1980 **Order Mermithida Hyman, 1951 **Order Mononchida Jairajpuri, 1969 **Order

Muspiceida Muspiceida is an order of nematodes belonging to the class Enoplea Enoplea (enopleans) is a class, which with the classes SecernenteaTree of Life Web Project (ToL) (2002)Nematoda Version of January 1, 2002. Retrieved November 2, 2008. and Ch ...

Bain and Chabaud, 1959 **Order

Hall, 1916

Description

Taxonomy

Subdivision

References

Further reading