Genisys and computer-assisted identification of nematodes

Identification of species for the study of biodiversity in the phylum Nemat a is defined as being able to identify any of the 12 000 described species of nematodes, and being able to recognise when the specimen under study bel ongs to a species unknown to science. Moreover, this large-scale identifica tion must be done by biologists who are not expert taxonomists. It is argue d that printed identification aids are too rigid and unreliable, and molecu lar identification aid is too limited, to be used in this context. Only com puter identification tools are flexible, reliable, and general enough to gi ve a non-taxonomist the possibility to identify any species. However, a rev iew of existing tools and approaches shows that they fall short of reaching this objective. The functionality of a general identification system that could overcome the problems and difficulties encountered in the use of comp uterised tools is then described. This system (which has been described by the authors in several articles under the name of Genisys) would include a general database with all the characters from all the published description s of nematodes species and a set of integrated identification tools. Some o f these tools would export the data into formats usable by existing identif ication and systematics tools. Other tools would have to be developed to su pport new approaches. A guidance tool would help the non-expert user by sug gesting the successive computerised tools to be used during an identificati on session or by directing the user to other approaches, such as molecular identification in the case of heteroderids or some Meloidogyne species.