Animal Profiles
Worms

Nematode

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Nematodes occupy an enormous variety of habitats. This account describes Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny free-living roundworm that feeds on bacteria and is widely studied in laboratories.

Magnified photograph of Caenorhabditis elegans, the representative described here.

Magnified photograph of Caenorhabditis elegans, the representative described here.

The original uploader was Kbradnam at English Wikipedia . ( Original text: Zeynep F. Altun, Editor of www.wormatlas.org ) · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Caenorhabditis elegans uses moist terrestrial microhabitats associated with soil and decomposing vegetation.
Diet
Bacterivore
Food
Bacteria provide food.

Classification

Common name
Nematode
Browse group
Worms
Scientific name or taxon
Not specified in the source index

Three things to know

  • It is a free-living roundworm.
  • Its food is bacteria.
  • The body lacks segmentation.

Habitat and range

Caenorhabditis elegans uses moist terrestrial microhabitats associated with soil and decomposing vegetation. A thin water film allows movement; these conditions differ from the habitats of parasitic nematodes.

Appearance and adaptations

The transparent, unsegmented body is cylindrical and tapers at both ends. There are no legs or other external limbs, and microscopy reveals internal structures.

Diet and behaviour

Bacteria provide food. Chemical sensing helps the worm locate suitable conditions and feeding patches. This bacterivorous way of life does not represent every nematode, many of which have very different diets.

Sources

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