Two New Nematode Species, <i>Desmolaimus magnus</i> sp. nov. (Monhysterida, Linhomoeidae) and <i>Metadesmolaimus robustus</i> sp. nov. (Monhysterida, Xyalidae), from the Yellow Sea, China with Phylogenetic Analyses within Linhomoeidae and Xyalidae

Abstract

Two new species are described from the Rizhao coast along the Yellow Sea. Desmolaimus magnus sp. nov. is characterized by its relatively large body size, faintly striated cuticle, four long cephalic setae, a wide buccal cavity with cuticularized transverse rings, an amphidial fovea at the junction of the buccal cavity and pharynx, a pharynx without a bulb, curved spicules, a gubernaculum with a dorso–caudal apophysis, and an elongated conical tail. Metadesmolaimus robustus sp. nov. is characterized by its relatively large body size, coarsely striated cuticle, spacious buccal cavity with cuticularized rings, six inner labial sensilla setiform, six outer labial setae, and four long cephalic setae. The pharynx is notably muscularized, and the spicules are straight and jointed with a slightly swollen proximal end and a hooked distal end. The gubernaculum is brownish and comma–shaped, and the tail is conico–cylindrical with terminal setae. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum–likelihood and Bayesin inference, based on small subunit and D2–D3 fragment of large subunit rDNA sequences, place Desmolaimus magnus sp. nov. within the framework of the family Linhomoeidae and Metadesmolaimus robustus sp. nov. within Xyalidae. Topology trees at the family level show genera Desmolaimus and Metadesmolaimus as paraphyletic groups, the genus Terschellingia as a monophylectic group, the genus Theristus as a monophylectic group based on SSU sequence, the genus Daptonema as a monophylectic group based on LSU sequence.

Keywords

• free-living marine nematodes
• phylogenetic analysis
• SSU
• LSU
• taxonomy