Haliplectus Cobb, 1913

Haliplectus is a coastal marine nematode present at inter tidal zones, salt marshes and sand dunes. At Saaftinghe Land, a salt marsh in the south-west of the Netherlands, numbers of 25 million per square meter have been found. The narrow sclerotized buccal cavity with distinct cheilorhabdions and a small denticle at the base followed by a narrow pharynx tube suggests a bacterial feeding behaviour. The pharynx has a small oval-shaped anterior bulb, a tubular istmus and a large rounded muscular basal bulb with a distinct valvular apparatus. For species identification the number and position of supplements (or papillae), present just in front of the cloaca, is important.

More pictures of Haliplectus Cobb, 1913:

Haliplectus: female body
Haliplectus: female body

Haliplectus: male body
Haliplectus: male body
Haliplectus: anterior body
Haliplectus: anterior body
Haliplectus: small circular amphid aperature
Haliplectus: small circular amphid aperature
Haliplectus: buccal cavity, oval-shaped anterior bulb and large rounded basal bulb with valvular apparatus
Haliplectus: buccal cavity, oval-shaped anterior bulb and large rounded basal bulb with valvular apparatus
Haliplectus: buccal cavity
Haliplectus: buccal cavity
Haliplectus: amphid aperature and strongly annulated cuticle
Haliplectus: amphid aperature and strongly annulated cuticle
Haliplectus: basal bulb-intestine region
Haliplectus: basal bulb-intestine region
Haliplectus: row of cuticle pores at tail region
Haliplectus: row of cuticle pores at tail region
Haliplectus: cuticle pores at head region
Haliplectus: cuticle pores at head region
Haliplectus: vulva, vagina
Haliplectus: vulva, vagina
Haliplectus: tail region
Haliplectus: tail region
Haliplectus: anal opening
Haliplectus: anal opening
Haliplectus: spicules with gubernaculum, spinneret (caudal glands opening) at tail tip
Haliplectus: spicules with gubernaculum, spinneret (caudal glands opening) at tail tip
Haliplectus: four pre-cloacal supplements visible
Haliplectus: four pre-cloacal supplements visible

(Click on the pictures for an enlargement, © Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology/Pictures: Hanny van Megen)