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Description

Threadtails are a group of acaroid pneumonopteres which adapted to a parasitic lifestyle the most. All species are endoparasites of a variety of different terrestrial and secondarily aquatic organisms. They are tiny and reduced a lot of their organs, particularly their skeletal, respiratory and circulatory system. Despite them lacking eyes and lungs, they did not descend from the higher acaroids, as they still possess tiny claws they use to anchor themselves in the host's tissue with. Their general shape is elongate with a massively enlarged tail that contains the gonads. Save for a few primitive species, threadtails are hermaphrodites. Many species have several lifestages, adapted to either different tissues of the same host or to different host species and accordingly, change their shape in ontogeny greatly. The group consists of tens of thousands of species and is distributed worldwide, with a umber of groups having made it into the oceans to parasitize both primarily and secondarily aquatic organisms.

Gilltails are relatively large threadtails that parasitize vermiphytes, where they live inside the remaining section of the intestine, a blind-ended tube filled with fluid that serves as a hydroskeleton and water reserve. Their tails developed into secondary respiration organs to accomodate their relatively large size. Depending on the species and the species of the host, they either live off the stored fluids of the intestine or suck blood from the intestine's walls.

Bristleworms are the most strongly derived acaroid pneumonopteres, being reduced to little more than a long, worm-like body with a tiny mouth and concentric rings of setae which serve to anchor them to their host's tissue. The dextral bristleworm is a rather curious species, as it only infects the right heart of primitive secondary-legged tetragnathes.

Description

Threadtails are a group of acaroid pneumonopteres which adapted to a parasitic lifestyle the most. All species are endoparasites of a variety of different terrestrial and secondarily aquatic organisms. They are tiny and reduced a lot of their organs, particularly their skeletal, respiratory and circulatory system. Despite them lacking eyes and lungs, they did not descend from the higher acaroids, as they still possess tiny claws they use to anchor themselves in the host's tissue with. Their general shape is elongate with a massively enlarged tail that contains the gonads. Save for a few primitive species, threadtails are hermaphrodites. Many species have several lifestages, adapted to either different tissues of the same host or to different host species and accordingly, change their shape in ontogeny greatly. The group consists of tens of thousands of species and is distributed worldwide, with a umber of groups having made it into the oceans to parasitize both primarily and secondarily aquatic organisms.

Gilltails are relatively large threadtails that parasitize vermiphytes, where they live inside the remaining section of the intestine, a blind-ended tube filled with fluid that serves as a hydroskeleton and water reserve. Their tails developed into secondary respiration organs to accomodate their relatively large size. Depending on the species and the species of the host, they either live off the stored fluids of the intestine or suck blood from the intestine's walls.

Bristleworms are the most strongly derived acaroid pneumonopteres, being reduced to little more than a long, worm-like body with a tiny mouth and concentric rings of setae which serve to anchor them to their host's tissue. The dextral bristleworm is a rather curious species, as it only infects the right heart of primitive secondary-legged tetragnathes.