Water line – a special place of the Southern Baltic Sea for free-living nematodes

This paper presents the structural and functional characteristics of nematofauna assemblages inhabiting the sediments along the water line in the southern Baltic Sea. The nematodes were identified to the genus level and assigned to appropriate trophic group. The density of free-living nematoda varied from 10.52 ± 9.82 ind./10 cm2 to 124.49 ± 76.39 ind./10 cm2. Ascolaimus was the most abundantly represented genus, accounting for from 45% to 74% of the total number of nematofauna. A total of 7 nematode genera were identified. Ascolaimus, Axonolaimus, Enoplolaimus and Daptonema were considered essential elements of nematofauna. In terms of functionality, nonselective deposit feeders were predominant, individuals with unarmed buccal cavity, represented by nematodes of the genera Ascolaimus, Axonolaimus, Theristus and Daptonema.