Epsilonema pustulatum Gerlach, 1952

Sivaleela, Gunasekaran, Surendar, Chandra & Kumar, Rubavath Rajendar, 2021, Free-living marine nematodes in Andhra Pradesh Coast, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 121 (2), pp. 283-301 : 294

24. Epsilonema pustulatum Gerlach, 1952 *

(Figure 15A-C)

1952. Bathyepsilonema pustulatum Gerlach, S.A. Abh. math. -naturw. kl. Akad. Wiss. Mainz., 6: 315-372.

Material examined: 4♂, (Reg. No. N. 218), Ramathirtham,

30.vii.2014, 7♂ (N.218), Mypadu, 30.iv.2014. coll. G. Sivaleela.

Diagnostic characters: The species characterized by epsilon shaped, Cuticle with annulations. Four rows of ventral ambulatory setae in the middle of the body.

Description: Body epsilon shaped with anterior and posterior regions. Cuticle with annulations. Body length is 0.5 mm. Maximum diameter of body is 33 µm wide. Four cephalic setae in the anterior end. Amphids are 5 µm wide. Tail is 1.5 a.b.d long conical shaped. Spicules are 47 µm measured.

Distribution: Continental shelf Southwestern Bay of Bengal ( Ansari et al., 2012); www.checklist.org.br. Elsewhere: Exe estuary, South-West England.

Remarks: The specimens examined well to the earlier description of Platt & Warwick (1988) by its body with epsilon shape curvature. This species was recorded by

( Ansari et al., 2012) from off Karaikal. The photo of this specimen could not give clearly because of poor quality of specimen.