Family Lauratonematidae Gerlach, 1953

Diagnosis (emended from Lorenzen 1981)

Cuticle distinctly striated. Metanemes absent. Outer labial setae and cephalic setae arranged in one circle. Amphideal fovea non-spiral, pocket- or club-shaped. Buccal cavity usually cuticularized; funnel-shaped pharyngostoma, sometimes with small teeth, cheilostoma cylindrical, shallow or deep. Secretory-excretory system either restricted to pharyngeal region or extends further posteriorly. Female reproductive system monodelphic with anterior reflexed ovary to the left of the intestine; vulva located very close to anus ( Lauratonemoides) or ending in the cloaca ( Lauratonema and Lauratonemella). Male reproductive system monorchic or diorchic, posterior testis always to the right of the intestine; precloacal supplements absent. Spicules short, straight or only slightly bent; gubernaculum present or absent. Caudal glands lie completely within the tail. Tail conical or conicocylindrical.

Type genus

Lauratonema Gerlach, 1953 .

Remarks

Lorenzen (1981) states that this family is characterised by a monorchic male reproductive system; however, more recent species descriptions (Tchesunov 1984; Fadeeva 1989; Chen & Guo 2015) show the presence of two opposed testes in some Lauratonema, Lauratonemoides, and Lauratonemella species. The family was revised by Tchesunov (1984), who provided a key to species of the family.