#nematomorpha

[machinafulmen]

quick post about my reploidsona/fursona, Welcome Back. its 5 horsehair worms wearing reploid and statue parts, and its team of mavericks works as its museum staff. its favorite medium to use is living reploids as sculptures

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Nematomorpha

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Nematomorpha is a phylum of animals that act as parasitoids of arthropods, so named for their superficial similarity to nematodes. They are commonly called Horsehair Worms, Hairsnakes, or Gordian Worms.

Most nematomorph species are 50 to 100 mm (2 to 3.9 in) long, but some can get up to 2 metres (6.7 ft) long! Adult nematomorphs can often be found in water or in damp areas. They have 2 distinct sexes, and the free-living, non-feeding adults can be found coiled into tight balls and knots while mating. They lay their eggs in water, for their larva to be eaten or burrow in through the skin of aquatic larvae and encyst. When the aquatic larvae (the paratenic host) is eaten by their primary host, the cyst hatches and they become a juvenile. The nematomorph lives inside their host, absorbing nutrients, growing, and molting for a few weeks to several months before leaving its host to mate. It often becomes several times longer than the length of its host. Some species cause their host to seek out water and drown itself, thus allowing the nematomorph to exit into its new watery habitat and begin the cycle anew.

How do you feel about this phylum?

One or more of my favorite animals is in this phylum

I love one or more of these animals

I like one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

I hate all of these animals

Voting ended onSep 21, 2024

Propaganda under the cut:

When I was a kid I saw a white horsehair worm in a puddle and got real close and noticed it was moving all on its own. I called my grandpa, who was a naturalist, over and told him it was some kind of creature, perhaps a new species! He said no it was just a hair in the water. I said no it’s moving on its own! He said no that’s just the current. I said but it’s a puddle there’s no current. He said I think your eyes are playing tricks on you.

Low and behold I went home and did some research and found out about nematomorphs and told him the next day that HAH I WAS RIGHT IT WAS A REAL LIVING CREATURE

Remember to stay observant. Little things live all around you if you look real close.

idk if that convinces you of anything but uh anyway

At least one species, Paragordius tricuspidatus is able to escape from not only their host after ingestion by a predator, but also from the digestive tract of the predator. If their host cricket is eaten by a fish or frog prematurely, they then wriggle out through predator’s mouth, gills, or nose. That’s some Animorphs bullshit right there.

Nematomorphs play an important roll in ecology. As many species infect grasshoppers and crickets and drive them into the water, they also provide a significant source of food for fish. Without nematomorphs, fish that depend on grasshoppers and crickets would likely turn to other invertebrates, possibly throwing riparian ecosystems out of balance.

Nematomorphs often have to wait a long time before being eaten by their primary host. One species, Paragordius varius, is able to withstand being frozen at up to -70°C (-94°F) for weeks. Then it thaws out in the Spring, still ready to infect its next host.

We know that some species cause their hosts to enter water and drown themselves. We don’t actually know how they do this.

I used to work at an animal shelter and one time as I was cleaning I accidentally sprayed a cricket with cleaner and a horsehair worm came out of it. I then picked it up and showed it to the vet team and they all gathered around to stare.

[creatureimages]

go to the water, o locust! your thirst is unquenchable, and i am so alone coiled in your abdomen. sit and drink by the muddy ephemeral pond and you will hardly notice when i slip out : )

anyway why was this guy under a log. brother you need to be wet (unidentified horsehair worm, phylum nematomorpha)

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 2

🦪 MOLLUSCA vs. NEMATOMORPHA 🪱

Mollusca

Nematomorpha

Voting ended onFeb 13, 2024

Mollusca: Snails, slugs, cephalopods, bivalves, chitons, limpets, and others. This group contains the largest invertebrates, the giant and colossal squids. They are the largest marine phylum, but many members are terrestrial. Although they are incredibly diverse in body shape, all Molluscs generally have a hard "radula" used for eating, a mantle that may secrete a hard shell, and a body mostly composed of dense muscle. These animals can be predators, herbivores, filter feeders, symbiotic, and even parasitic. This phylum exhibits remarkable diversity overall.

Nematomorpha: Horsehair Worms. Until adulthood, all Horsehair Worms are parasites of various insect species. They are mostly freshwater, with a few saltwater species. As the larvae grow into adulthood, many can alter the behavior of their insect hosts by compelling them to fall into bodies of freshwater. When it senses water, the adult worm emerges to spawn. These parasites are important in controlling insect populations, and in some cases, providing a food source for fish. Without them, the effects would cascade down the food chain and lead to shifts in the ecosystem's balance.

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Ecdytes

Loricifera. This phylum is made up of microscopic animals that attach themselves to gravel. It is one of the most recently discovered groups, first described in the 1980s

Nematomorpha. This phylum is known as horse-hair worms. The adults are free-living, but larvae are parasites of arthropods

Which clade of animals is better?

Loricifera

Nematomorpha

Show results

Voting ended onFeb 3, 2024

[cnestus]

some bugs i saw at work 2.V.2022 - 18.V.2022

[cicada-swarm]

[musicmakesyousmart]

Nematomorpha - The Empty Room

Geräuschmanufaktur

2021