Revision of the Ethmolaimidae (Nematoda: Chromadorida) H. M. Platt Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Contents Synopsis 185 Introduction 185 Materials and methods 186 Synapomorphy scheme 187 Morphology and character evaluation 188 Ecology and distribution 192 Taxonomic revision 192 Family Ethmolaimidae 192 Subfamily Ethmolaiminae 193 Genus Ethmolaimus De Man 193 Genus Trichethmolaimus nov 194 Subfamily Neotonchinae 194 Genus Gomphionema Wieser & Hopper 1 94 Genus Neotonchus Cobb 197 Genus Gomphionchus nov 200 Genus Neotonchoides nov 200 Genus Nannolaimus Cobb 202 Genus Filitonchus nov 205 Key to the genera of Neotonchinae 205 Summary of proposed taxonomic changes and additions 206 Species descriptions 207 Acknowledgements 250 References 250 Synopsis Based on the proposed synapomorphic character of precloacal supplementary copulatory organs of a unique derived form, the family Ethmolaimidae now contains both the Ethmolaiminae of Filipjev & Stekhoven, 1941 and the Neotonchinae of Wieser & Hopper, 1966. A tentative cladogram is proposed to express a theory of the relationships within the family. Several other taxonomic changes are proposed, including the erection of four new genera and six new species. Figures and keys are provided to facilitate species identification. Introduction The work reported here, prompted by the discovery of further new species from Scotland and Ireland, began as a review of just those species contained in Wieser & Hopper's (1966) subfamily Neotonchinae (raised to family by Lorenzen, 1981). However, similarities between these organisms and species of the genus Ethmolaimus (Ethmolaimidae) and a species of Spiliphera suggested that the respective taxa should be united. This paper sets out the arguments for this new combination of taxa, although the main descriptive work concen-trates on the marine neotonchids. Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Zool.) 43 (4) : 1 85-252 Issued 28 October 1 982
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