Studies On The Free-living Marine Nematodes In The Southcastern Beach Of Xiamen Island

Species composition of free-living marine nematodes in the intertidal area in the sand beach in the southeast of Xiamen Island during 2000 and 2001. More than 80 species have been collected and 18 of them including six new species and 12 new geographical records have been worked out in China. They are: Comesoma, Comesomatidae; Pomponema, Cyatholaimidae; Marylynnia, Cyatholaimidae; Pterygonema, Ceramoneniatidae; Metachromadora, Desmodoridae; Desmoscolex, Desmoscolecidae Aponema, Microlaimidae; Gammarinema, Monhysteridae; Metadesmolaimus, Xyalidae; Rhynchonema, Xyalidae; Xyala, Xyalidae; Viscosia, OncholaimidaeWe found divergence in the species composition in different habiting area (mud flat and sand flat). The investigation put emphasis on some area, try to know the distribution of marine nematodes for the later research of the position of marine nematodes in the benthic eecological system.