BACK TO ACTA PARASITOLOGICA HOMEPAGE
BACK TO ACTA PARASITOLOGICA TABLES OF CONTENTS
BACK TO ACTA PARASITOLOGICA VOLUME 43 TABLES OF CONTENTS

Acta Parasitologica, Vol.43, No. 4, 1998, 189-193
Roopa T. M., Janardanan K. P. - The life cycle of Acanthostomum burminis (Trematoda, Acanthostomidae).

Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Kerala 673 635, India

ABSTRACT

The life cycle of Acanthostomum burminis (Bhalerao, 1926) Bhalerao, 1936 (Trematoda, Acanthostomidae) infecting Xenochrophis piscator has been elucidated. Life cycle stages were successfully reared in the laboratory. The life cycle, from cercaria to adult, took more than two months to complete. Pleurolophocercous cercariae were found in the thiarid snail Thiara tuberculata. Metacercariae occurred in fin rays of several species of freshwater fishes. Snakes became infected when fed on fishes containing metacercariae. The prepatent period is 28 days. Successive stages in the development of metacercariae and adults were followed.


KEY WORDS: Acanthostomum burminis, life cycle, Xenochrophis piscator, cercaria, metacercaria, Thiara tuberculata, fish, trematoda
Page compiled by Aleksander H.Kedra. Last modification: 19-01-1999