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The ultrastructure of the cuticle of Nematoda

I. The body cuticle within the Stilbonematinae (Adenophorea, Desmodoridae)

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Abstract

The ultrastructure of the body cuticle in species of six of seven representative genera of Stilbonematinae (Eubostrichus, Catanema, Laxus, Robbea, Leptonemella, andStilbonema) was investigated using SEM and TEM techniques. Additionally, one species ofSpirinia (Spiriniinae) and one ofDesmodora (Desmodorinae) were studied for outgroup comparison. The body cuticle of all investigated stilbonematids shows a consistent pattern composed of specific elements in a characteristic arrangement to each other. This pattern does not occur in Stilbonematinae alone, but also in Desmodorinae and Spiriniinae. Furthermore, a comparison within the Desmodorida reveals that this cuticular pattern apparently is present in the cuticle of representatives of Monoposthiidae, Epsilonematidae, and Draconematidae. The present results lead to the following conclusions: (1) the cuticle of Stilbonematinae contains no autapomorphic characters for this taxon, (2) there is a common cuticular pattern within the Desmodorida, and (3) this pattern is an autapomorphic character for the order Desmodorida.

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  1. Institut für Zoologie, Abteilung Meeresbiologie, Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Wien, Austria

    Werner Urbancik, Monika Bauer-Nebelsick & Jörg A. Ott

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  1. Werner Urbancik
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  2. Monika Bauer-Nebelsick
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  3. Jörg A. Ott
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Urbancik, W., Bauer-Nebelsick, M. & Ott, J.A. The ultrastructure of the cuticle of Nematoda. Zoomorphology 116, 51–64 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02526870

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