Sclerolaimus JAIRAJPURI et AHMAD, 1992

Kiss, M., 2010, Free-Living Nematodes From Two Dolomite Hills In Hungary, With Description Of Sclerolaimus Hungaricus Sp. N., Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 56 (4), pp. 293-305 : 299

Sclerolaimus JAIRAJPURI et AHMAD, 1992

Diagnosis. Tylencholaimoidea. Leptonchidae . Leptonchinae. Body small, 0.93–1.37 mm long. The cuticle composed of several layers. Cuticle typically tylencholaimoid with fine transverse striations, inner layer coarsely striated, irregular. Amphids large, nearly encircling head. Lip region cap-like, set off by a deep constriction. Minute sclerotized pieces near the oral opening. Odontostyle thin, needle-like, lumen hardly discernible, odontophore very small, simple, straight. Basal expansion cylindrical, about one-third of oesophagus length. Cardia cylindroid, relatively large. Excretory pore not visible.

Female. Female genital apparatus amphidelpic. Gonads paired, opposed and reflexed. Both ovaries are functional. Vulva transverse. Tail hemispheroid, about one anal body diameter, posterior part hollow.

Male. Spicules dorylaimoid. Ventromedial supplements present, widely spaced. Tail hemispheroid longer than anal body diameter, posterior part hollow.

Type species. Tylencholaimus paradoxus LOOF et JAIRAJPURI, 1968 = Sclerolaimus paradoxus ( LOOF et JAIRAJPURI, 1968) JAIRAJPURI & AHMAD, 1992 .

Remarks. Sclerolaimus paradoxus ( LOOF et JAIRAJPURI, 1968) was originally described in the genus Tylencholaimus DE MAN, 1876 . Later JAIRAJPURI and AHMAD (1992) detached it as a type species of their newly described genus Sclerolaimus classified in the family Tylencholaiminae ( Tylencholaimidae ).The above mentioned authors regarded Sclerolaim us closely related to Tylencholaimu s DE MAN, 1876 and Capilonchus SIDDIQI, 1982 differing from the former in the sclerotized vestibule, the presence of cuticularised pieces around oral opening, the very fine odontostyle, the large and basally slightly thickened odontophore, furthermore in the well-developed cardia. (In Tylencholaimus , the vestibule is not sclerotized, cuticularised pieces are absent, odontostyle and odontophore are provided with distinct lumen and aperture, odontophore possesses distinct basal knobs and cardia is not enlarged). It differs from Capilonchus by the absence of labial disc, the presence of cuticularised pieces around stoma, the shape of vestibule, the well-developed cardia and by the amphidelphic reproductive system. (In Capilonchus a prominent labial disc is present and there are no cuticularised pieces around the stoma, the vestibule is inverted, thistle-funnel shaped, cardia rounded and the reproductive system mono-opisthodelphic).

ANDRÁSSY (2009) transferred the genus Sclerolaimus in Leptonchidae (Leptonchinae) on the basis of the cap-like head region, the attenuated odontostyle with hardly discernible lumen, the simple odontophore and on the short basal part of oesophagus. This genus is thought to be closely related to Leptonchus COBB, 1920 , but the straight odontophore and the relatively long cylindrus distinguish it from Leptonchus ( ANDRÁSSY 2009) .