Volta

The ability to get everywhere: dispersal modes of free-living, aquatic nematodes

Abstract Nematodes colonize almost all aquatic habitats worldwide. Despite their small size, restricted locomotion and lack of pelagic larvae, they can reach even isolated habitats within a short time. In this review, we examine the underlying dispersal modes, considering their active movement in substrates and water, their drift by water and wind, rafting, zoochory as well as human-mediated vectors. These modes are limited by morphology and habitat structure, ecological factors and especially by hydrodynamics. Active dispersal is effective over short distances, but with increasing water-flow velocity, passive dispersal modes, which enable long-range transfer, become important. In fact, the transport of nematodes over thousands of kilometers via ship water tanks and by hitchhiking on sea turtles has been documented. Overland dispersal …

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