Spirurida falls under the phylum Nematoda class Chromadorea and order Spirurida. They are characterized by their elongated, cylindrical bodies and unsegmented structure. Like all nematodes, they have neither a circulatory nor a respiratory system.

Spirurida
"Dirofilaria immitis" larva, Magnification 400×
Dirofilaria immitis larva
Magnification 400×
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Chromadorea
Order: Rhabditida
Suborder: Spirurida
Superfamilies

10, but see text

Some Spirurida, like the genus Gongylonema, can cause disease in humans. One such disease is a skin infection with Spirurida larvae, called "creeping disease". Some species are known as eyeworms and infect the orbital cavity of animal hosts.

Systematics

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The Camallanida are sometimes included herein as a suborder, and the Drilonematida are sometimes placed here as a superfamily. There are doubts about the internal systematics of the Spirurida, and some groups placed herein might belong to other spirurian or even secernentean lineages.[1]

The following superfamilies are at least provisionally placed in the Spirurida:

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ ToL (2002)

Sources

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  • Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) (2002): Nematoda. Version of 2002-JAN-01. Retrieved 2008-NOV-02.
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