Phylum Round 1
🪱 NEMATOMORPHA vs. ORTHONECTIDA 🦠
Nematomorpha
Orthonectida
Nematomorpha: Horsehair Worms. Until adulthood, all Horsehair Worms are parasites of various insect species. They are mostly freshwater, with a few saltwater species. As the larvae grow into adulthood, many can alter the behavior of their insect hosts by compelling them to fall into bodies of freshwater. When it senses water, the adult worm emerges to spawn. These parasites are important in controlling insect populations, and in some cases, providing a food source for fish. Without them, the effects would cascade down the food chain and lead to shifts in the ecosystem's balance.
Orthonectida: Simple, yet poorly-understood wormlike parasites surrounded by hair-like cilia. Their hosts are generally invertebrates, both freshwater and saltwater. Unlike many other parasites, adult Orthonectids will leave the host when ready to reproduce, and will spawn in the open, independent of the host. The resulting larvae are covered in cilia to help them swim to find a new host. Once a new host is found, the larva will separate asexually into the next generation of Orthonectids.










