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Issue: Vol. 5543 No. 2: 3 Dec. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-12-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5543.2.4
Page range: 225-236
Abstract views: 117
PDF downloaded: 64

Guidelines for species descriptions of free-living aquatic nematodes: characters, measurements and their presentation in taxonomic publications

P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Nakhimovsky prosp. 36; 117 997; Moscow; Russia
Ghent University; Biology Department; Marine Biology Research Group; Krijgslaan 281; S8; B-9000; Ghent; Belgium
Ghent University; Department of Biology; Nematology Research Group; Ledeganckstraat; 35; B-9000 Ghent; Belgium
University of Salzburg; Department of Biosciences; Hellbrunnerstraße 34; 5020 Salzburg; Austria
Insect & Nematode Biosecurity; CSIRO; GPO Box 1700; Caberra; Act; Australia
Department of Zoology; Swedish Museum of Natural History; Box 50007; SE-104 05; Stockholm; Sweden
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA); 301 Evans Bay Parade Hataitai; Wellington; New Zealand
BioConsult GmbH & Co. KG Auf der Muggenburg 30; 28217 Bremen; Germany
University of Jaén; Department of Animal Biology; Plant Biology and Ecology; Edificio B3; Despacho 146; Campus “Las Lagunillas” s/n; 23071-Jaén; Spain
Ghent University; Department of Biology; Nematology Research Group; Ledeganckstraat; 35; B-9000 Ghent; Belgium
Department of Biology; University of Texas at San Antonio; San Antonio; TX; 78249 USA
Lomonosov Moscow State University; Faculty of Biology; 119991; 1-12 Leninskie Gory; Moscow; Russia
Universidade Federal do Pará; Grupo de Estudos de Nematoda Aquáticos; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho; Av. Augusto Corrêa; 01. Guamá - Belém - PA; Brazil
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research; 231 Morrin Road; Auckland; New Zealand
University of Havana; Centro de Investigaciones Marinas; Habana; 11300; Cuba
Institute of Entomology; Branišovská; 31; 37005; České Budějovice; Czech Republic
University Milano-Bicocca; Dipartimento di Biotecnologie & Bioscienze; Piazza della Scienza 2; 20126 Milano; Italy
Ghent University; Biology Department; Marine Biology Research Group; Krijgslaan 281; S8; B-9000; Ghent; Belgium
Nematoda Enoplea Chromadorea taxonomy morphology species description

Abstract

Free-living aquatic nematodes are abundant, diverse and of general environmental importance. However, knowledge of species distributions of both marine and freshwater nematodes is sparse. Species distribution data are crucial for evaluating environmental impacts from human activities and to conduct integrated nematode community assessments. Basic knowledge on taxonomy and species descriptions is lacking for many regions due to decreasing taxonomic expertise, yet it is essential for biodiversity research and for building molecular sequence libraries for the application of methods such as environmental DNA. In order to encourage and facilitate taxonomic and descriptive work on this understudied group, we present here a framework for nematode species description. We begin by providing a brief overview of nematology history, then provide suggestions of microscopic methods that should be used and provide a list of characters essential for morphometric species descriptions. Finally, we briefly discuss common molecular sequencing approaches that are commonly used in nematode taxonomic literature.

 

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