New Mouth less Interstitial Worms from the Sulfide System: Symbiosis with Prokaryotes

Abstract

Abstract. Two mouthless interstitial animals, a nematode and a turbellarian were collected from reduced sediments surrounding polychaete tubes. The microorganisms in the gut rudiment of the two animals were described using TEM. The occurrence of mouthless freeliving marine animals in relation to organic and sulfide rich environments and their association with microorganisms is discussed. A description of Astomonema jenneri n.gen., n. sp. (Nematoda, Siphonolaimidae) is given in an appendix.