First checklist of free-living marine nematodes from the Israeli coast of the Mediterranean

Abstract

This study presents an inventory of free-living marine nematodes from the deep waters of the southeastern part of the Levantine Basin. The meiofauna of this area, particularly the free-living marine nematodes, have been poorly investigated; hence, the present study has regional zoo-geographic importance. To fill this knowledge gap, nematodes were collected from the upper 0-3 cm sediment horizon from a transect located perpendicular to the Israel coast off Tel Aviv, with depths ranging between 76 and 1400 m. Our sampling yielded a diverse assemblage of nematodes representing 65 species belonging to 54 genera and 22 families. About 38% of the species have been previously reported in the Mediterranean; the remaining 62% are reported for the first time. A taxonomic checklist provides information on the worldwide distribution of the encountered species. This checklist provides a baseline for understanding the nematode community in this region and serves as a valuable resource for future studies.