Adenophorea or Aphasmidia was a class of nematodes (roundworms). It has been by and large abandoned by modern taxonomy, because there is strong evidence for it being a motley paraphyletic group of unrelated lineages of roundworms.[1]
Characteristics supposed to distinguish Adenophorea are:
- amphids always post-labial, shape, pore-like to elaborate
- deirids are not seen
- phasmids are generally absent
- hypodermal glands present (excretory?) uninucleate
- simple non-tubular excretory system when present
- three caudal glands commonly opening through a spinneret at the tail tip
- male generally has two testes
- caudal alae are rare
- male with supplement glands in a single ventro-median row
- sensory papillae in cephalic region and along the body
- generally there are five esophageal glands
- marine, freshwater, terrestrial
As it seems, a number of these traits are plesiomorphic, and thus unsuitable to discern relationships.
- ^ ToL (2002)