Three new species of the genus Belbolla (Nematoda: Enoplida: Enchelidiidae) from the Yellow Sea,China

Three new species of free‐living marine nematodes of the genus Belbolla: Belbolla huanghaiensis sp. nov., Belbolla stenocephalum sp. nov. and Belbolla warwicki sp. nov. from the Yellow Sea, China, are described and illustrated. Belbolla huanghaiensis can be separated from other species in the Belbolla genus by the number of oesophageal bulbs (nine), the length of the spicules and gubernacular apophysis, and the size of the two winged precloacal supplements. Belbolla stenocephalum can be separated from other species by the number of oesophageal bulbs (eight), the length of the spicules and the structure of gubernacular apophysis. Belbolla warwicki sp. nov. is characterized by the number of oesophageal bulbs (seven), reduced precloacal supplements and the structure of gubernacular apophysis. A key to the genus Belbolla is provided to facilitate species identification. Types are deposited in the College of Life Science and Technology, Ocean University of China.