ABSTRACT
Nematodes are mostly small, water-dependent invertebrates considered to be the most abundant, and one of the most diverse, of any group of animals. Due their capacity for adaptation, nematodes are present anywhere organic carbon is available, at all latitudes of the planet, and from the bottom of the sea to the tops of the mountains. The word nematode is derived from the Greek ‘nema’, meaning in the shape of a thread, since they possess an elongate and cylindrical body. Evolution adapted nematodes to explore a variety of food sources. The parasites colonize and feed in plant or animal tissues, while the free-living forms are grazers or predators of small organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae and micro-invertebrates.
