A Caenorhabditis elegans worm viewed under a microscope against a dark background.

Adult Caenorhabditis elegans under a microscope.

Creator: Zeynep F. Altun (WormAtlas); original uploader Kbradnam

Licence: CC BY-SA 2.5

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Species record

Common Laboratory Roundworm

Caenorhabditis elegans

Explore the Common Laboratory Roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Caenorhabditis elegans is a tiny, free-living roundworm found in moist soil and on rotting vegetation in temperate regions across many parts of the world. It feeds on bacteria and is widely studied in laboratories.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Roundworms
  3. Class: Chromadorean roundworms
  4. Order: Rhabditida
  5. Family: Rhabditidae
  6. Genus: Caenorhabditis

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
moist soil, rotting vegetation
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • This tiny roundworm feeds on bacteria living in soil and on rotting vegetation.

Sources and attribution