The Life Cycle of the Bacterial-Feeding Nematode Diplolaimella stagnosa and Its Population Growth in Response to Temperature and Food Availability

Diplolaimella is a ubiquitous cosmopolitan genus, but information on the life cycles of its species limited. Here, we describe cycle free-living bacterivorous nematode, stagnosa , and report effects temperature food availability population dynamics. Specimens were primarily collected from intertidal zone Hangzhou Bay Wetland, China culture experiments conducted in nutrient agar media with habitat water at 20°C. The nematode fed an unidentified bacterium that it carried. Under these conditions, both males females matured 16 days. Reproduction was by gamogenesis gravid normally carried 7–8 eggs. Embryogenesis completed 58 h, entire (egg to adult) 16–18 During juvenile development, body lengths worms increased linearly up 16th day, then remained constant. Body 898.1 ± 6.0 μm 1039.7 14.7 μm, respectively. Nematodes kept 25°C had greater increase than those 20°C, growth nematodes substantially higher microcosms abundant bacteria supplied leaves Phragmites australis without plant litter. Based strategy influence growth, D. allocated group c-p 2, suggesting potential use as model organism toxicological studies.