What structures and behaviors can be observed in vinegar eels?
Vinegar eels are members of the nematode family. Nematodes are a large phylum of roundworms. They eat almost anything and therefore are widespread ecologically and geographically. Almost every species of plant or animal studied has at least one species if nematode living in it. Parasitic nematodes infest two thirds of the worlds population. A spade full of fertile soil may contain a million nematodes. Three hundred to five hundred million nematodes may live in the top six inches of an acre field. Sizes range from 0.2 mm to 30 cm. Bodies are smooth, cylindrical and covered by a thick but flexible covering. Longitudinal muscles extend the length of the worm, which causes the body to whip about from side to side in erratic, thrashing movements. Nematodes are the lowest animal to possess a complete digestive tract with two openings (mouth and anus). The vinegar eel, Turbatrix aceti (Anguillula), lives in vinegar on the fungus forming the mother of vinegar.
