Oxystominidae Chitwood, 1935

Federica, Semprucci & Maria, Balsamo, 2019, A new species of Maldivea Gerlach, 1962 (Nematoda, Oxystominidae) from Felidhoo atoll (Maldives, Indian Ocean) and an emended diagnosis of the sub-family and genus, Ecologica Montenegrina 20, pp. 1-9 : 3

Family Oxystominidae Chitwood, 1935

Diagnosis (after Smol & Coomans 2006). Body elongated and very thin at the anterior end. Anterior sensilla in three separate circles, the second and third circle clearly separated; the inner labial sensilla papilliform or setiform, outer labial and cephalic setae very slender. Buccal cavity narrow, tubular or funnel-shaped and without teeth. Among species, amphids are unusually polymorphic. Only orthometanemes with very short caudal filament present. Pharynx inserts into the body cuticle in the region of the buccal cavity; however, the cephalic capsule is not well developed. The posterior section of the pharynx has an undulating outline. Females didelphic- amphidelphic with antidromously reflexed ovaries or monodelphic-opisthodelphic. Males diorchic with opposed testes or only one anterior testis. Position of caudal glands variable.