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Genus of thorny-headed worms From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acanthocephalus is a genus of parasitic worms. One of the species in this genus is Acanthocephalus anguillae (Mueller, 1780),[citation needed] a fish parasite. Acanthocephalans are also found in humans and primates, causing a common zoonotic infection called "human acanthocephaliasis". While pathogens can be transferred among animals and humans, the main source of human acanthocephaliasis is the diet of infected raw fish and insects (Lotfy, 2020).[citation needed] Because they are lacking circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems, Acanthocephalus are exceptionally well-adapted to a symbiotrophic existence (Margulis & Chapman, 2009).[citation needed]
Acanthocephalus | |
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Acanthocephalus parallelcementglandatus from Clarias batrachus. 15) Holotype male. Note the piercing of the incomplete outer proboscis receptacle posteriorly with retractor muscles. 16) A typical hook near the middle of the proboscis 17. Proboscis 18) Posterior part of the reproductive system showing detail of the parallel cement glands, common cement ducts, and sperm duct system (dotted). | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Acanthocephala |
Class: | Palaeacanthocephala |
Order: | Echinorhynchida |
Family: | Echinorhynchidae |
Genus: | Acanthocephalus Koelreuter, 1771 |
Species | |
See text |
There are 5 steps in which Acanthocephala cycles through life; (1)Their eggs shed in feces. (2)These eggs are then ingested by their host. (3)The definitive host then gets infected due to ingesting the eggs from the first host. (4)The definitive host is either rats or raccoons and therefore, in this step the Acanthocephala matures in the small intestine. (5)Lastly, the Acanthocephala matures and also produces eggs inside the definitive host (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).[citation needed]
Contains the following species:
An intestinal parasite, it is found both in the Baltic Sea and along the coast of California, where it is often found in the fore- and mid-gut of the Brown and Rainbow trouts.[1][2][3]
Instead of having its eggs expelled from the host in feces, the gravid female detaches itself from the host's digestive tract and sinks to the bottom, where her body is consumed by the species' intermediate host, Caecidotea intermedius, a species of isopod.[5][6] Upon hatching, the larvae begin to alter their host's behavior. This will manifest in lighter pigmentation and an increased attraction to predators, such as A. dirus' primary hosts.[7][8]
Found both in California and in Thailand, it has been known to parasitize the sockeye salmon, chum salmon, rainbow trout, and barramundi.[9][10]
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