The free-living

nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...

''Panagrellus redivivus'' (sour paste nematode, or beer mat nematode from its occurrence in constantly moist felt beer mats), is known to many aquarium enthusiasts and fish keepers as the microworm. It is a tiny roundworm used as the first food for larger kinds of newly-hatched fish, such as larval

common carp The common carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), also known as European carp, Eurasian carp, or simply carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Ark ...

. The microworm is widely used in

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

as food for a variety of fish and crustacean species. One of thirteen currently recognized species of ''Panagrellus'', ''P. redivivus'' is about 50 μm in diameter and just over 1 mm in length, barely visible to the naked eye. Subsisting on

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

, it is easily cultured at home on a substrate of

flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

paste or

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...

inoculated with dry yeast. Females reach maturity in about three days and deliver live young rather than eggs, as most nematodes produce. The microworm has been used in

genetic analysis Genetic analysis is the overall process of studying and researching in fields of science that involve genetics and molecular biology. There are a number of applications that are developed from this research, and these are also considered parts ...

studies, but not nearly as universally as its relative, ''

Caenorhabditis elegans ''Caenorhabditis elegans'' () is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a Hybrid word, blend of the Greek ''caeno-'' (recent), ''r ...

''. In Vietnamese cuisine, it is common to use lactic fermented yeast rice (cơm mẻ), which contains microworm (con mẻ), to make dishes sour.

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q7129875 Rhabditida Pet foods Nematodes described in 1767 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

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