Dacograllus trukensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Draconematodae), a new free-living marine nematode from a seagrass bed (Zostera spp.) of the Chuuk Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean

Abstract

A new species of free-living marine draconematid nematode, Dracograllus trukensis n. sp., is described. This new species was collected from shallow subtidal sediments of seagrass bed (Zostera spp.) in Chuuk Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Dracograllus trukensis n. sp. differs from the known species of the genus by the following combination of characters: the absence of Ceph Acan-set, the presence of longitudinally areolated body cuticle with dot-like punctations, the absence of cuticular collar in all somatic setae, the shape of amphidial fovea: large, elongate, and open loop-shaped in male and large, elongate, and closed loop-shaped in female, the absence of preanal Corn-set, the absence of lateral differentiation on narrow body region, and the number and arrangement of posterior sublateral and subventral adhesion tubes (10 sublateral and 8 subventral PAT in male, and 13 and 9 in female).