Spirurida

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


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.

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.