Alaimidae
{{Short description|Family of roundworms}}
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Alaimidae is a family of nematodes (roundworms) belonging to the order Dorylaimida.{{cite web |title=Alaimidae |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/2596 |website=Global Biodiversity Information Facility |access-date=6 May 2025}} Members of this family are free-living nematodes commonly found in soil and aquatic habitats, where they play an important role in nutrient cycling and the decomposition of organic matter.{{cite journal |last=Andrássy |first=I. |title=Free-living nematodes of Hungary (Nematoda Errantia). Vol. 2 |journal=Hungarian Natural History Museum and Systematic Zoology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences |year=2009}}
Morphology
Species in the Alaimidae family are generally characterized by a slender, elongate body, a well-developed esophagus with a basal bulb, and a simple reproductive system. The cuticle is typically smooth or faintly striated, and amphids are well developed, aiding their sensory perception.{{cite journal |last=Loof |first=P.A.A. |title=On the systematics of the Dorylaimida (Nematoda) |journal=Nematologica |year=1971 |volume=17 |pages=79–89 |doi=10.1163/187529271X00176}}
Ecology
Alaimidae species are known for their adaptability to a range of environmental conditions. They are found in a variety of terrestrial and freshwater environments, often associated with decaying plant material. As bacterivores and detritivores, they contribute significantly to soil health and are sometimes used as bioindicators in ecological and environmental studies.{{cite journal |last1=Yeates |first1=G.W. |last2=Boag |first2=B. |title=Ecological basis of control of plant parasitic nematodes |journal=Annual Review of Phytopathology |year=1999 |volume=37 |pages=127–149 |doi=10.1146/annurev.phyto.37.1.127}}
Genera
The family includes the following recognized genera:
- Adorus Thorne, 1939
- Alaimus de Man, 1880
- Amphidelus Thorne, 1939
- Alaimoides Heyns, 1963
- Aporcelaimellus Andrássy, 1959
Taxonomic history
The family Alaimidae was first described by Filipjev in 1934 and has since undergone various revisions as molecular techniques have improved phylogenetic understanding of nematodes.{{cite journal |last=Filipjev |first=I.N. |title=On the classification of the free-living nematodes |journal=Recueil des Travaux de la Société des Naturalistes de Léningrad |year=1934 |volume=66 |pages=173–184}} Recent studies continue to refine the classification, with new genera occasionally being described based on morphological and genetic analysis.{{cite journal |last=Holterman |first=M. |title=Phylogenetic relationships among nematodes based on nuclear 18S rDNA |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |year=2006 |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=395–420 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.03.012}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.gbif.org/species/2596 Alaimidae at GBIF]
- [https://www.nemys.ugent.be/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123184 Alaimidae at NeMys]
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