New species of deep-sea nematode from the of the south eastern Arabian Sea continental margin.

Phylum: Nematoda Rudolphi, 1808

Class: Chromadorea

Order: Monhysterida Filipjev, 1929

Family: Xyalidae Chitwood, 1951

Scaptrella filicaudata Jacob, Abdul Jaleel, Philip & Damodaran, 2015

Collection: South eastern Arabian Sea – off Cape Comorin, 06°57′19′′N, 77°21′99′′E, 1100 m. Smith-McIntyre grab.

Voucher No.: IO/SS/NEM/00022 (FORV Referral Centre, CMLRE, Kochi).

Description: Cuticle finely striated, amphid circular with thick walls. Non-striated cephalic region with labial setae, lateral setae and submedian setae. Buccal cavity cylindrical and deep, anteriorly armed with jointed mandibles and odontia. Numerous long somatic setae. Spicule curved, with proximal cephalization. Gubernaculum with dorsally directed apophysis.Tail long, filiform, without terminal setae. Males monarchic.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: No Females or juveniles found. Sediment texture: predominantly sand with low percentages of clay. Organic matter 5.70%, temperature 14.49°C, salinity 35.08 psu, dissolved oxygen concentration 0.42 ml/l.

Distribution: Continental margin of south-eastern Arabian Sea.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Jini Jacob

Publication:  Jacob J, Abdul Jaleel K U, Philip R, Damodaran R. 2015. A new species of Scaptrella (Nematoda: Monhysterida) from the continental margin of the southeastern Arabian Sea. Marine Biology Research, DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2015.1009468.