Leptosomatides brevicaudatus n. sp. and a Redescription of Leptosomatides marinae Platonova, 1967 (Enoplida: Leptosomatidae)
Kito, K.; Hope, W.D.
Journal of Nematology 31(4): 460-474
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-300X PMID: 19270919 Document Number: 507919
The free-living marine nematodes Leptosomatides brevicaudatus n. sp. and L. marinae were described and redescribed, respectively, from material collected in the northwest Pacific. Leptosomatides brevicaudatus n. sp. from Simushir Island differs from L. marinae in the ratio c' (body length divided by tail length measured on the chord) and the length of the spicules. Leptosomatides marinae is redescribed from light microscopy (LM) observations of the type specimens and LM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of specimens from Hokkaido, Japan. It appears to be impossible to distinguish among some species of Leptosomatides because they are either insufficiently described or known only from females. Secondary sexual characters of males are essential for purposes of identification.