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Nematomorpha - 'Horse hair worms'

Also known as gordian worms

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This phylum's 'place' relative to other phyla: Metazoan Triploblast Ecdysozoa Cycloneuralia	Selected taxa within this taxon: Class

~325 species

Characteristics
Similar to nematodes but:

lack functional digestive tract (adults do not feed living inactive lives using nutrient acquired during juveniles as parasites on arthropods)

Larval nematomorphan shown above;
note eversible introvert.

Lecture Sources:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/taxaform.html University of California Museum of Paleontology.

http://biodidac.bio.uottawa.ca/ BIODIDAC:A bank of digital resources for teaching biology

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