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Gigantorhynchida is an order containing a single family, Gigantorhynchidae[1] of Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms) that parasitize vertebrates by attaching themselves to the intestinal wall of their host. There are over 60 species classified into three genera in Gigantorhynchida Gigantorhynchus, Intraproboscis, and Mediorhynchus.
| Giganthorhynchidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gigantorhynchus ortizi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Acanthocephala |
| Class: | Archiacanthocephala |
| Order: | Gigantorhynchida Southwell and Macfie, 1925 |
| Family: | Giganthorhynchidae Hamann, 1892 |
| Archiacanthocephala |
| Phylogenetic reconstruction for select species in the class Archiacanthocephala[2][3] |
Phylogenetically, the family Gigantorhynchidae is sister to the family Moniliformidae, represented by sequences of Moniliformis Moniliformis that form a supported monophyletic group. The group formed by Gigantorhynchidae and Moniliformidae suggest it to be a sister to the group formed by sequences of Macracanthorhynchus ingens and Oncicola venezuelensis[2] A new taxonomic analysis has been performed.[4]
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Gigantorhynchida contains three genera.[5]
Gigantorhynchus
The genus Gigantorhynchus contains six species with G. echinodiscus as the type species. It was described by Hamann in 1892.[6] The genus Gigantorhynchus is characterized by the presence of a cylindrical proboscis with a crown of robust hooks at the apex followed by numerous small hooks on the rest of the proboscis.[2][7] The body, or trunk, is long with pseudosegmentation, the lemnisci are filiform, and the testes are ellipsoid.[2] Species of Gigantorhynchus are distinguished based on the number and size of hooks on the crown of the proboscis, the type of pseudosegmentation, and size of the ellipsoid eggs.[2] Males of all species possess eight cement glands which are used to temporarily close the posterior end of the female after copulation.[8] There is pronounced sexual dimorphism with the female often two or more times longer than the male.[2] Gigantorhynchus species infest marsupials and myrmecophagids (anteaters) in Central and South America.[2]
Intraproboscis
The genus Intraproboscis Amin, Heckmann, Sist, and Basso, 2021[9] contains one species, I. sanghae . It was found infesting the African black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) in the Central African Republic.[9]
Mediorhynchus
Mediorhynchus Van Cleave, 1916 contains at least 59 species.
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Gigantorhynchus is found in mammals in South America and baboons in Africa. Intraproboscis is found in mammals in Africa, and Mediorhynchus is found in birds worldwide. [10]
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