Nematomorpha (phylum) (Gordian worm, horsehair worm)

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Adult worms are thin (often less than 1mm) but long (often longer than 50mm), giving them a hair-like appearance - hence their alternative common name horsehair worm. The digestive tract is vestigial and the adults do not feed. All growth occurs in the larval stage. The larvae are endoparasites in a variety of arthropods. The host eats the worm eggs, which are deposited by the female on vegetation on the water's edge.