Author: K. NASIRA AND F. SHAHINA

Publishing Date: 2007

E-ISSN: 0255-7576

Volume 25 Issue 2

ABSTRACT:

During the last decade much attention has been given to free-living marine nematodes and in particular, to the species of the Arabian sea of Pakistan. Nematode samples have been collected and identified form different habitats. The number of nematode genera and species found has now increased enormously. A total of 123 species and 104 genera of free-living marine nematodes were found which were distributed among 34 families, 6 sub-orders, 4 orders, 2 sub-classes, and 1 class from taxonomic point of view. Of these 1 genus and 33 species are new to science while 70 species were found as new records from Pakistan. The
survey result indicates that all the nematode assemblages were significantly different at different study region. The order Chromodorida was the best represented with 14 families and 49 genera, followed by the order Enoplida with 12 families and 28 genera; Monhysterida with 7 families and 25 genera, while Trefusiida with one family and one genus. All the free living marine nematodes species described and redescribed from Pakistan are presented here in a
checklist, including their ecology and distribution along with illustrations.