Angiostoma carettae is the first nematode

Nematode

The nematodes or roundworms are the most diverse phylum of pseudocoelomates, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. It has been estimated that the total number of nematode...

 known to inhabit turtle

Turtle

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...

s. Its specific name comes from its presence in Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...

s (Caretta caretta).

Each of the loggerheads found to contain Angiostoma carettae had other debilitating disorders. For this reason, it is hard to pinpoint the exact effect of the nematodes. Even so, the nematodes caused histologic lesions in the respiratory tract

Respiratory tract

In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy involved with the process of respiration.The respiratory tract is divided into 3 segments:*Upper respiratory tract: nose and nasal passages, paranasal sinuses, and throat or pharynx...

.

Ingestion of pelagic mollusks has been hypothesized as the mode of A. carettae ingestion, but has not been proven.