Two new species of Lauratonema (Nematoda: Lauratonematidae) from the intertidal zone of the East China Sea

Two new species of free-living marine nematodes of the genus Lauratonema Gerlach, 1953 from an intertidal sandy beach of the East China Sea are described and illustrated. Lauratonema macrostoma sp. nov. is characterized by a spacious buccal cavity, depth 2.1–2.3 times width; cup-shaped amphids; small blade-like spicules (14–16 µm long, 0.55–0.65 anal or cloacal body diameter [a.b.d.]) and unequal length of outer labial setae and cephalic setae (13–17 µm and 9–12 µm respectively). Lauratonema dongshanense sp. nov. can be distinguished by the small buccal cavity with a strong cuticularized transverse strip structure; cup-shaped amphids; small blade-like spicules (14–15 µm long, 0.58–0.67 a.b.d.), unequal length of outer labial setae and cephalic setae (8–10 µm and 5–7 µm respectively); the presence of a small precloacal papilla. A dichotomous key for the genus Lauratonema is given.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B5BA6C15-E72A-4C62-97B4-1823E71A9355