Nematodes

Nematode worms - living as parasites of virtually every species of plant and animal, and inhabiting terrestrial, fresh water, and marine habitats - exert a powerful effect on the Earth's biosphere. While nearly 20,000 species have been described, it is estimated that 80,000 to 1,000,000 species of nematodes actually exist. Best known as parasitic disease carriers and crop destroyers, the more abundant free-living (nonparasitic) nematode species play instead a valuable ecological role. Originally published in 1986 in the USSR, this book provides a detailed review of the morphology and development of all nematodes, especially the less studied, free-living marine forms. Using information from histology and ultrastructural investigations, as well as embryogeny and ontogeny, Malakhov proposes a classification and phylogeny for nematodes and related groups and compares nematodes to other animals with a primary body cavity (pseudocoelomates), such as the Loricifera. This comprehensive study contains extensive Russian literature references not readily available in other sources.