Malacobdellidae

Malacobdellidae is a monogeneric family within the phylum Nemertea. It is included with the order Hoplonemertea within the class Enopla (formerly in monotypic order Bdellonemertea of the same class).[1]

Malacobdellidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nemertea
Class: Enopla
Order: Hoplonemertea
Family: Malacobdellidae

Morphology

The family, as well as its sole genus Malacobdella, is characterized by a posterior ventral sucker and a proboscis lacking a stylet.[2] As in other Hoplonemertea, the lateral longitudinal nerve cord is located internal to the body wall muscles, in the mesenchyme.[3]

Ecology

Members of Bdellonemertea are all commensal, living in the mantle cavities of bivalves.[4] The only non-marine and non-bivalve hosted species, Malacobdella auriculae, is doubtful. It was described in 1847 by Émile Blanchard on the basis of a single drawing of his colleague and probably wasn't even a nemertean.[5] Malacobdella feed on small food particles that are brought into the mollusk's ctenidia.

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References
  1. Tholleson, M. and Norenburg, J.L. (2003). "Ribbon worm relationships: a phylogeny of the phylum Nemertea". Proceedings of the Royal Society B 270: 407-415.
  2. Gibson, R. (1972). Nemerteans. Hutchinson & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-111990-1.
  3. Brusca, R.C. and Brusca, G.J. (2003). "Phylum Nemertea: The Ribbon Worms". Invertebrates (2 ed.) Sinauer Associates, Inc. p.329. ISBN 0-87893-097-3.
  4. Pechenik, J.A. (2005). "The Nemertines". Biology of the Invertebrates (5 ed.) McGraw-Hill. p. 205. ISBN 0-07-234899-2.
  5. Kozloff, E. N. (1991). "Malacobdella siliquae sp. nov. and Malacobdella macomae sp. nov., commensal nemerteans from bivalve molluscs on the Pacific coast of North America". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 69 (6): 1612–1618. doi:10.1139/z91-225.
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