Secernentea was a class of nematodes in the Classical Phylogeny System (Chitwood, 1958) and is no longer in use.[1][2] This morphological-based classification system has been replaced by the Modern Phylogeny system, where taxonomy assignment is based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA).[3][4]
Characteristics of Secernentea are:
Amphid apertures are pore/slit-like
Derids are present in some; located near nerve ring
Phasmids are present; posterior
Excretory system is tubular
Cuticle is striated in two to four layers; lateral field is present
Three esophageal glands; esophageal structure varies
Males generally have one testis
Caudal alae are common
Sensory papillae are cephalic only; may be caudal papillae in males
^Olsen, Oliver Wilford (Dec 1975). "Animal Parasites: Their Life Cycles and Ecology". The Quarterly Review of Biology. 50 (4). Courier Corporation. doi:10.1086/408868.
^De Ley, P., and M. Blaxter. 2004. "A New System for Nematoda: Combining Morphological Characters with Molecular Trees, and Translating Clades into Ranks and Taxa." Nematology Monographs and Perspectives 2. Brill, Netherlands: 633–53.
^De Ley, P., Wilfrida Decraemer, and A. Eyualem. 2006 "Introduction: Summary of Present Knowledge and Research Addressing the Ecology and Taxonomy of Freshwater Nematodes." CABI.